The Quidditch Commentator
by petals-to-fish
Summary: It's the simple things in life that bring people together: laughter; friendship; and breaking four ribs in the middle of the biggest Quidditch game of the year are just three prime examples. Those three things are exactly how the Gryffindor quidditch captain eventually fell for the Hogwarts quidditch commentator...this is their story, a love story...(canon-jily)
1. Introducing Our Heros

**Summary: **People don't just fall in love chasing bad guys while saving the world. It's simple things that bring people together like laughter, friends, and breaking 4 ribs in the middle of the biggest Quidditch game of the year. In fact, most people aren't aware but this is exactly how the Quidditch Captain fell for the Quidditch commentator...quite literally.

_**This is a quick story-only intended to last about ten chapters as my drafts have gone no farther no matter how many ways I write it. Jut meant to be an easy going story, written for fun!**_

**Hogwarts, Autumn 1973**

**The Introduction of Lily:**

The start of the school year was always so refreshing to Lily. As the leaves changed it always felt like the start of something new and exhilarating. She breathed in the smell of ink, parchment, and old books. Although Lily loved being home with her family most days she loved being at school more. School was the place where Lily was among the people like her. Particularly, people who enjoyed the game of quidditch.

Betting for the winner of the Quidditch Cup took place far away from the teachers at the abandoned East Wing of the library. The teachers didn't condone betting of any kind and the betting was kept hidden from them. A selected manager ran the betting pool from each house of Hogwarts. Lily's friend Mary Lambert was on her first year of running the bets for Gryffindor. Mary was finding the lack of moral support for the Gryffindor Quidditch team absolutely dismal even if she _had_ put in bets for a Ravenclaw win this year.

According to the chalkboard at the back of the room, Slytherin had the highest amount of support. The checkmarks for votes were covering the board like green and silver confetti. Beside Slytherin, Ravenclaw was next in line with a close follow of Hufflepuff. It was the gold and maroon colors of Gryffindor that weren't represented at all on the board.

A hand pushed two silver coins in front of Mary's nose and Mary heard a familiar twinkle of laughter, "Mary don't look so sour! It's Quidditch season!"

Heads turned to Lily Evans, standing at the Gryffindor betting table looking confidently cheerful. The muggleborn witch had her red hair done in two braids down her back and her green eyes were done up with makeup. It was Lily's favorite time and she couldn't contain her excitement over the start of Quidditch season. Her arm was wrapped in that of Serverus Snape's, a few of her other friends not far behind, gossiping. Lily saw that Gryffindor had next to no votes and felt her heart slip a bit but she tried to remain cheerful. On her arm, Severus tugged a bit. Severus was a third year Slytherin who wasn't exactly a Quidditch fanatic but he was Lily's best friend since first year. Snape glanced over at Lily, as if to ask if they could go back to their studying but Lily, ever the chatty Kathy, continued talking to Mary.

"Two sickles on Gryffindor winning the House Cup." Lily indicated her loyalty with no falter in her tone.

Mary stared at Lily in disbelief as she put in _two_ sickles for Gryffindor to win the season with a novice flyer as its Captain.

"Why?" Mary implored upon the confident Lily, "_I'm_ not even betting on Gryffindor!"

Lily grinned, "Try-outs were last week and I tried out for seeker." Her green eyes were bright, "I mean with Potter as captain it's _obvious_ he's going to switch his own position to chaser because that's what he's best at…so I'm hoping he'll pick me for seeker!"

"He's not even that impressive." Severus Snape interjected with a bitter tone, "You're way better than him."

Lily smiled at her mate and poked him in the side, "Please Sev, I know James Potter is an arse but he's a good flier…"

"Oh come on," a blonde second year Gryffindor wearing a jersey moaned, "Even I'm not putting in for a Gryffindor win and I'm on second string."

"Have a little faith, Anna!" Lily jested to the blonde.

"My last name is Faith." The girl named Anna replied, "I've got enough faith for all of us."

"I still mean it Mary," Lily told her friend, "I want my bet written down."

"Whatever you say Evans," Mary replied, adding a single gold checkmark next to Gryffindor on the board.

"Thank you, Mary." Lily grinned, "See you in Herbology—come on Sev I think Slughorn wanted us to collect those herbs—"

Lily turned to Severus to start pushing him out of the throng of quidditch fanatics when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"James Potter's a complete _arse_ of a rookie!" A voice cut in gleefully from the right where the Slytherin betting pool was.

Lily turned to see that Gregory Mills and the rest of the Slytherin quidditch team had heard Lily's thoughtful words towards the new captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team. Lily eyed Gregory Mills up and down once with a fleeting look of distaste. Mills was big, burly, and a beater to boot. Everyone knew him but not for good reasons. He was loud and obnoxious around the halls of Hogwarts and he was always boasting about his wins. He claimed right out of Hogwarts he'd play professional quidditch but Lily thought she'd seen an owl with a broken wing fly better than Mills ever could. Gregory Mills almost resembled a black bear with his bushy face, dark black eyes, and wide nose. The rest of the Slytherin team wasn't that wonderful looking either, but Gregory Mills definitely took the cake with his strange amount of body hair. Lily wasn't afraid of him but she certainly didn't like him.

Mills slipped off of the table he'd been sitting on and came over to the Gryffindor side of the room, leering at Lily who stood her ground. Severus took a step back, muttering for Lily to leave with him. Lily pursed her lips and didn't stand down.

"James Potter didn't catch the snitch _once_ last season." Mills snarled at Lily, mustache quivering, "What makes you think he'll be any better catching quaffles while I'm aiming my bludger at his skinny arse?"

Lily wrinkled her nose in dislike, "At least _his_ skinny arse," she began with an remorseful smile in Mills' direction, "is a fair sight prettier than _your_ hairy arse."

Mills blinked stupidly at Lily for a minute before shouting and pulling out his wand at her. Severus Snape tried to pull Lily away but the witch simply pulled out her own wand and pointed it in Mills' direction with additional flare. Mary jumped up out of her chair and also pulled out her wand, seeing Lily was getting herself in trouble. Students in the room were starting to chant and Lily was smirking charismatically in Mills' direction.

"You little bitch." He shouted, sparks flying from his wand.

Lily checked her nails against her wand, unimpressed by his comments, "Come now, is that the best insult you've got?" behind Lily, Severus groaned at Lily's taunting.

"Lily, don't encourage him." Lily's roommate Lori Wanters hissed angrily, "Let's go."

"_Mudblood_!" spit came out of Mills' mouth and gasps echoed around the room at the derogatory term Mills thundered in Lily's direction.

Everyone in the room knew Lily Evans didn't take being made fun of for being muggleborn very slightly. In second year she'd turned Andrea Cutler's hair blue for two weeks when the witch told Lily that her muggle sister was undoubtedly retarded. For a moment, Lily was unruffled. Her face showed no expression. Severus Snape took a step towards Lily because his own wand was out, pointing around at the entire Slytherin quidditch team. Mills sneered at Lily now, his words clearly hitting the right spot.

It was so fast that later, first years could've sworn that Lily didn't even raise her wand. One second Mills was standing there sneering at Lily, and the next second he was on the floor screaming in agony as the hair on his body increased and started covering him in shaggy, auburn hair. Mills' facial hair was growing over his eyes and his Quidditch mates looked like they weren't sure what to do.

Throwing her wand back into her pocket, Lily sauntered past the Slytherin quidditch team with a smirk. Mary dropped her wand and fell into her char, smiling as Mills tried ripping the hair growing all over his body off. A prefect shouted that Gryffindor would lose points. Severus and Lori followed Lily, both stowing their own wands away.

"I think Mills fancies a trip to the Hospital Wing boys!" Lily shouted back to the angered Slytherins.

Lily blew a kiss at Mills, who was groaning and shouting incoherent words underneath his furry overcoat. There was a lot of laughter following Lily as she exited the betting room but she also heard shouts that Gryffindor didn't stand a chance this year.

Lily just hoped that for once, James Potter would come through for her.

**The Introduction of James:**

The trees around the Hogwarts campus were starting to change color and school scarves were starting to get worn regularly. Autumn. It was James Potter's favorite season because of the start of hot pumpkin juice in the Great Hall and most of all, _quidditch season_. His toes were curled in excitement as Madame Hooch made her way down to the pitch. His fingers were freezing against the windowpane in the betting room in the Library. It was emptier than when Lily Evans had been in the room defending Gryffindor as most students were at breakfast. James' breath made eerie shapes on the glass.

The Quidditch captains were in the middle of being picked, later than normal this year because of misplaced badges and awards. James had heard Professor Sprout had handpicked Michael Veer for a Hufflepuff victory. Professor Slughorn had placed Gregory Mills as captain and rumor had it that Mills' father had to pay off Slughorn to do so. Ravenclaw unanimously placed Jung Chang as Captain of their quidditch team without a second thought.

James couldn't help smiling because it was this morning that Professor McGonagall had pulled him aside at breakfast to tell him that he was officially Captain for Gryffindor. He'd been picked of course, but there had been some questioning because of his being only a Third year. It was _everything_ he'd ever wanted and he was delighted.

The other players in the other houses were delighted too and James knew it. James was young, with only a year of playing on house teams. Most captains had three or four years under their broomsticks. At only a year of playing competitive quidditch, James was still considered a rookie.

Gossip said that McGonagall had no choice, as the only other returning member to the Gryffindor team was sixth year Douglass McCain who was on probation for being caught smoking on the toilets more than once. James didn't mind being considered novice because he knew that this was his chance to be the greatest Hogwarts quidditch player since Marty Jones in 1967.

James then glanced at the paper of bets placed on a Gryffindor win this season and felt his stomach drop in embarrassment. As betting pools formed for the new season, Gryffindor had the lowest number of counts for the season. _Five_ counts for wins to be exact.

The first three counts happened to be from James' mates who were ecstatic about their mate getting the high honor of quidditch captain. The fourth count for a Gryffindor win was from James himself.

James was confused to as who put in the fifth count for a Gryffindor win. He knew most of the other Gryffindor were banking on a Ravenclaw win and accepted the challenge that he had to win his housemates trust out on the field. He just wished that he knew the person who didn't need proof to trust in his ability to lead Gryffindor to victory. He knew Mary Lambert had the list of voters and he considered asking her for the list. He had to know who this mysterious supporter was.

"Oi!"

James turned in surprise to see his mate Peter motioning to him to hurry along to the back shelves of the library. James recalled they were meeting Sirius and sighed before grinning and hitching his bag up his shoulder.

"Come on mate," Peter moaned, "Sirius is waiting."

The pair raced down the bookshelves only to hear people talking about a fight that had occurred earlier that week. In Hogwarts, anything besides the normal student getting lost in a vanishing cupboard was considered top news. Today the top story was that there had been a brawl in the quidditch betting room between a third year Gryffindor girl who absolutely schooled a fifth year Slytherin. James was interested but by the time he met up with Sirius in the dark corners of the Library for research on werewolves, the news had been forgotten.

In the end, it was Peter who found out the whole story that had occurred in the Library. It was almost farfetched, if James hadn't known about all those involved in the so-called fight. Peter was retelling the story to his mates as they sat in the bathroom in the dungeons, away from prying eyes.

"—and then Evans turned him into a bear!" Peter roared with laughter, clutching his pudgy stomach with mirth.

"She did what?" Sirius pushed back his hair in skepticism, as Lily spent most of her time in their company scoffing them.

James had always respected Lily, who spent more time gaining admirers than not. James couldn't believe that it had been _Lily_ who had put in money for Gryffindor to win. He groaned in frustration and kicked out with his foot in frustration. Sirius looked up from where he sat on a vernal, reading a book on werewolves. It was clear Sirius was not interested in the story as he was more concerned about their roommate Remus, but nonetheless he pretended to look concerned for a moment.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Sirius mumbled to James, "You're not the one reading up on werewolves. Did you know when they transform they can't remember _anything_? Lupin literally goes through hell each month."

Peter started biting his fingernails; "Remus isn't going to be happy when he hears—"

James waved his hand to quiet Peter; "Evans tried out for the team last week."

Sirius nodded, "So what? What's more important right now? Quidditch, or the fact our mate is a werewolf?"

Peter and James ignored Sirius. Sirius rolled his eyes, seeing that his mates had simply been distracted. They were trying to get Remus to talk to them again—not Evans. Sirius would be happy if Evans never came to talk to them. She was friends with a bloke Sirius wasn't exactly a fan of.

Peter inquired James, "How'd Evans fly?"

James shook his head; "this other bloke outflew her for seeker. The second year, Anna Faith, even outflew her. I put Faith on a second string so she'd be ready to go next year." James bit his lip and pushed his glasses farther up on his nose.

Both Peter and Sirius now stared at James in confusion, as if wondering why Evans was such a dilemma when they knew they had a _werewolf_ for a roommate. James started pacing back and forth across the tiled bathroom floor, explaining his anxiety.

"Evans wants to be a seeker and _obviously_ put in money for a Gryffindor win because she was supporting a team she _thought_ she was going to be a part of but I literally cannot keep her for a seeker—not even on my second string." James pushed his glasses up his thin nose and looked at Peter who observed James, confused, "Evans'll never speak to me again if I don't pick her but if I do pick her I have less of a chance of winning the cup. I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't!"

"Why do you _care_ if Evans speaks to you again or not?" Sirius questioned, implying in his tone he wanted the third year witch dropped from the conversation.

James hoped the red on his cheeks wasn't apparent as he realized he didn't know why he cared, but he did, and that was horrible. James couldn't recall a time when he really cared what anyone thought of his actions. Instead of answering Sirius, James sat down and grabbed the book on werewolves. His eyes scanned the pages blankly, trying to make it seem like he was more interested in the werewolf in their dorm room.

James loved quidditch but he also cherished his Hogwarts mates. James had grown up an only child so having four boys who looked up to him, laughed with him, and lived with him...was like his childhood dreams coming true. James' friendship with Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin had seemed perfect until Sirius started noticing that Remus kept disappearing every month. Remus' justifications were being sick; his mother being sick; his rabbit being sick and other chance excuses.

It wasn't until James had realized that Remus was missing every full moon that the three boys had pieced the existent knowledge together. They're roommate was a werewolf and from the moment they knew they wondered why Remus had kept it a secret. Of course, when James, Peter, and Sirius had confronted Remus, the young werewolf panicked and hadn't talked to them since. Almost immediately, Sirius started researching ways to help Remus but he found there were no cures for werewolves. The boys wanted to help their roommate, but had no idea how. Remus wouldn't even look their way and had become recluse.

"I'll try speaking to him again." James murmured, "but it's a full moon this weekend and I have to got out the list of who is joining the team this season."

And Lily Evans wasn't on the list.


	2. Happy Game Day, Hogwarts

**Hogwarts, Spring 1975**

**James and Lily's Fourth Year**

**The Introduction of the Quidditch Commentator:**

At first upset she hadn't been picked for even a chance at second string, Lily eventually got over her loss and started branching out to other clubs. Lily made her time pass quickly and soon the end of her fourth year at Hogwarts was upon her. Students were planning vacations, robes had become lighter, and scarves were traded for bare legs and laughter. The Quidditch season was almost over and Lily looked forward to the last game of the season.

The Quidditch Team passed Lily in the hallway as she talked to Amanda Forthcroft about Slug Club. Anna Faith waved to Lily not too far behind James Potter. Although disappointed James hadn't picked her to play seeker, she was pleased with her current activities and aimed to be prefect and then Head Girl. Lily waved back kindly at the second string seeker and continued her conversation with Amanda, her eyes casually glancing at the black messy hair of the Captain of the team.

James Potter also had kept busy in his fourth year. His first year as Quidditch Captain had gone horrible because of a 1:3 losing season. James' team of Quidditch players had only won a single game and that had killed Gryffindor spirits. As a novice third year captain, it seemed James' career as Quidditch Captain was done for but McGonagall gave him one more chance.

James took that chance and flew with it. James Potter had taken his failure and learned from it, reassessing every aspect of the game of quidditch. He was the quidditch _darling_ this year, winning almost every game he brought his team to. Lily had been to every single quidditch game and she had watched, as the Gryffindor team slowly became the team she had always imagined being a part of.

While walking down to the pitch on game day with her mates, Lily passed Severus, who was on his way up from the greenhouses. She paused to capture his attention and he let a smile filter across his sallow features. Lily's friends stopped to wait for her, but she felt their antagonist stares in her back. Not a single one of her dorm mates liked Severus because he was a bit weird. The girls made sure Lily very aware of that fact, every chance they got.

"Lily." Sev beamed, holding up a wilted plant in his arms, "I got the Sugarsnap for Slughorn. Want to come see it be added to the draughts down in the labs?"

"We're going to watch quidditch." Lily shook her head no, "Want to drop the plant off and join us?"

Snape wrinkled his nose, "Is Gryffindor playing?"

"_Duh_." Lily's friend Lori pointed to her scarlet and gold painted face, "James Potter's gonna get Gryffindor into second place!"

Sev's ashen face turned red at the mention of James Potter's name. Lily felt immediate irritation that Lori had dared mentioned James around Sev. Recently, the Quidditch Captain and Sev had been on less than friendly terms. Lily had recently found out they'd been getting into fights whenever they could. Lily couldn't even count on her fingers how many times she heard from her mates that James had detention for hexing Sev or hearing from others that Sev had been placed in detention for hexing James. Lily bit her lip and tried to twist the day positively so that her best mate would come out of the dingy dungeons and join her in the sunshine before summer started.

"Sev, Ravenclaw is playing their second string chaser, it should be a wild match." Lily beseeched.

"Speaking of second string," Sam Clark tapped her wrist as if indicating them needing to continue walking, "Shaun will _literally_ string me up by my hide if I'm not in the locker rooms in less than two minutes." Sam was a Ravenclaw second string and had agreed to walk out with her mates despite the rivalries going on between the houses because of the cup.

Lily glanced back at her mates with a casual grin then considered Sev, "Come on, join us. It'll be fun!"

"I'm alright." Sev said coolly, glancing around at her mates with distaste, "Later, Lily."

Lily felt her heart drop a bit as he walked away. Lily's friends told her again how it was fine and how he would've just complained the whole time anyways and Lily knew they were right but she'd been best friends with Sev since they were kids…

Lately she'd been distanced from the Slytherin who spent more time in the potions lab and with his fellow Slytherins than hanging out with her.

The Quidditch pitch was filled to the brim with spectators and some students were selling banners to wave for each playing team. Lily saw a banner with Potter's face on it and smirked to herself wondering if he'd been the one to suggest that piece of art. She wouldn't put it past him—James Potter knew he was the reason Gryffindor was winning and he took it to his head.

The game started off with a bang as two of Ravenclaw's players ended up being cut from the game for poor defensive actions played on Gryffindor's side. Gryffindor lost its seeker due to Ravenclaw's fallacies and James left his position as chaser to play seeker until he could find a replacement in his second string. Lily watched with bated breath as James Potter sat on his broom, fifty feet in the air, scratching his head and trying to figure out how to fix this mess of a game.

"He's shitting himself up there." Lily heard Sirius Black shout at Remus Lupin who'd just come back from a Holiday looking absolutely pallid, "He was _counting_ on his seeker to get the snitch five minutes in!"

Lily knew why James had been counting on his seeker to get the snitch faster than normal. Ravenclaw often used time to their advantage, flying slow in the start of games to keep their endurance low. Gryffindor had used the opposite tactic and were hitting the field fast to score as many goals as possible. Ravenclaw won by waiting for the other team to use all their resources and Gryffindor won by sheer force. The longer James had his team play at their top speed; the better a chance Ravenclaw had a capturing the snitch and beating Gryffindor by a two-point difference. While James pondered the position Gryffindor should play, Ravenclaw scored a goal.

The Gryffindor's moaned as the Ravenclaws cheered, the point board changed yet again and James needed to get the Gryffindor team back on track by replacing the seeker to someone other than himself. Anna Faith jumped the stands where the second string players were sitting and started yelling something to the Gryffinor beater.

"Come on!" Lily shouted at Potter, "Do something you idiot!"

As if he heard Lily, but likely not, James Potter swung his broom around to chance down one of his other beaters. They chatted for a moment before James left the beater and went into the middle of the field, asking for a time out.

"Captain Potter of Gryffindor has called for a time out." Professor McGonagall announced to the crowd through her microphone, "Five minutes time will be allotted."

James landed by the lower stands, where the second string of players was waiting, watching. Lily had been following the Gryffindor's team progress and had attended multiple practices whenever she needed a place to study or be entertained. James had a hard choice to make and she bit her fingernails when she saw him place a hand on Anna Faith's shoulder. Anna was her friend and _had_ mentioned possibly playing a game before the end of the season but Lily knew the girl was nervous about playing so suddenly. Lily's roommate Lori shouted enthusiastically for Anna from the stands, clapping her hands for the blonde in support.

"Potter is bringing Anna Faith, number 43, to the field!" Professor McGonagall announced.

There were a few cheers but not many students had seen Anna fly for real and most students were attempting to change their bets on a Gryffindor win quickly with Mary who held the box with bets inside two rows from where Lily sat.

Lily saw James pull his lips down to Anna's ear and whisper something frantically to her. The small blonde nodded and grinned boldly. Lily had noticed James had a way of making people feel confident, even when they were about to do something nerve-wracking. He was especially good at making his team mates smile in the most stressful of moments. He had the makings of a good captain if he could get past his own arrogance.

Lily and her mates cheered their hearts out for Anna, who followed James back out onto the pitch. Lily started chanting Anna's name, creating a cheer for the second string flier. Anna needed all the support she could get. James sent Anna to the south side of the field, and then he returned to the middle of the field. The game started back up again and quickly, Ravenclaw was gaining points. Gryffindor needed to catch the snitch before—

"There!" A Ravenclaw shouted three rows across from Lily.

Sure enough, a tiny golden ball was resting only feet above the stands, fluttering about like a humming bird. None of the players had spotted it yet. James had his back turned to the stands, focused on his beaters aiming bludgers at the wrong Ravenclaw players. But then, hearing a commotion as people started shouting, James turned lazily on his broom. His lanky body adjusted quickly at the sight of the little golden ball.

James shouted something incomprehensible towards Anna's position at south field. Anna had heard James' bark and flipped her broom around so fast, zooming towards the stands. The Ravenclaw seeker didn't stand a chance. Anna had a perfect target on the golden ball.

The snitch started flying to middle field and the two seekers zoomed after it but Gryffindor was going to win. Lily squealed with excitement, grabbing onto Lori's shoulder in eagerness. The Ravenclaws in the stands were already sitting down in disappointment at their loss.

Anna reached out her hand and wrapped her petite fingertips around the snitch.

"Gryffindor won! Gryffindor won!" The crowd shouted together, and aura of excitement rising from the stands.

The Ravenclaw's lowered their brooms in defeat and the Gryffindor quidditch team met in the middle of the field cheering astonishingly loud. Everyone was cheery and Professor McGonagall was telling students to exit the stands safely. Gryffindor students flooded onto the field cheering like they'd won the cup even if Hufflepuff had won the cup by 50 more points.

It was the first year Gryffindor had gotten higher than third place in 10 years.

James Potter was a hero in the halls. He was the fourth year that brought the Gryffindor team to victory. Professor McGonagall (who proudly displayed the second place ribbon in her office) gave James 100 extra house points for Gryffindor.

"I'm pretty sure it's gotten to his head." Anna Faith laughed with Lily over tea at the Slug Club.

"It's absolutely disgusting." Lily uttered in exasperation to Anna and Sev as they stood in the middle of the last Slug Club even of the year, "Potter walks into the Common Room and you'd think it was Merlin himself standing there, the way he acts."

Slug Club was for Professor Slughorn's favorite students. Professor Slughorn was the Potions master at Hogwarts who held a soft spot for students with particular talents. Lily and Sev were among his favorites and she enjoyed spending quiet time with Sev. Today however, Sev was standing a bit away from her. He was only slightly nodding his head as she berated James Potter—an odd thing considering Sev normally jumped at the chance to complain about James Potter and his overconfidence.

Anna checked back behind Lily and grinned cheekily, "I'll see you later, Evans." She offered, "I see Tom Barry is standing over by the cakes looking _quite_ alone."

"Bye!" Lily laughed as Anna fluffed her slick hair as much as she could.

Lily saw Anna send a playful wave as she slung an arm around the unsuspecting fourth year Hufflepuff. Lily shook her head, laughing at Anna's antics before glancing back to Sev who was staring off at a corner when a few Slytherins were hanging out.

"Sev?" Lily questioned, reaching out and touching his pale arm softly.

Sev jumped a bit and turned his black eyes in her direction, "What?"

"Are you alright?" Lily asked, perplexed, "You've hardly said a word all evening." Her voice lowered, "Are you nervous?"

Sev shook his head and took a sip of his pumpkin juice. Lily was the type of person to never let anyone go feeling sorry for themselves and quickly tried to figure out why Sev was so quiet. She knew holidays started back up soon which also meant Sev would have to go back home. That was a place he certainly hated more than he hated James Potter.

"Is this about going home? You know if your father starts bothering you, you are always welcome to come to—"

Sev suddenly lashed out crossly, "I'm fine, Lily."

Taken aback by his lash out, Lily took a step away from Sev and stared at him with a look of defense. Sev, seemingly realizing what he'd done, quickly apologized.

"Sorry, just—sorry!" he quickly stated, worry flooding his features that she was angry, "I didn't mean—"

"It's fine." Lily muttered, but her eyebrows were furrowed in puzzlement at Sev's actions.

"I'm fine with home." Sev then stated, glancing over to where a few Slytherins were standing chatting to Professor Slughorn, "I don't have to worry about my father bothering me anymore."

Lily didn't like the sinister tone Sev used and excused herself softly to go grab more pumpkin juice. Sev, now distraught that he's lashed out at her, offered to get her some juice instead. After allowing Sev to take her cup for pumpkin juice, Lily spotted Professor McGonagall walking in the direction of the door where Lily was standing.  
>"Hello Professor." Lily offered to the older Professor, "Fancy seeing you at Slug Club."<p>

The elder woman wearing a rich green set of robes stopped and smiled when she realized who was speaking to her. Lily was in Professor McGonagall's own house as McGonagall was the head of Gryffindor. Although strict, Lily liked Professor McGonagall well enough. The witch taught transfiguration, a challenging class that Lily enjoyed.

"Miss Evans." Professor Mcgonagall folded her arms in front of her chest and sent Lily a half a smile; "I've been meaning to tell you I got your request for Prefect. It was quite the informative read."

Lily beamed with pride; she'd worked for weeks on her application, "Thank you, Professor."

McGonagall nodded concisely, "I've also seen you at a lot of the Quidditch games. Potter mentioned you tried out once."

Lily wondered why Potter and McGonagall had been discussing her at all but decided it wasn't really worth questing, "Yes, I watch practices sometimes too." She tried to make herself seem as prefect as possible, "I like to support my house as much as I can."

"Hm." McGonagall mused softly, eyeing Lily with a new look, "You know," the older witch spoke with a twinkle in her light eyes, "I still haven't found someone to be a commenter at Quidditch games since Aaron quit."

Lily's brow creased.

It was common knowledge in the Hogwarts hallways what had happened at the Hufflepuff versus Slytherin match when Gregory Mills of Slytherin 'accidently' hit a bludger at Aaron Tyler, the schools resident commentator. Aaron fell out of the stands and was knocked unconscious after he'd said a few choice words about the Slytherin beater. That was the second offense on a Hogwarts Quidditch commentator as only two matches before at the Ravenclaw vs Sytherin match, the Ravenclaw seeker (who later had been found to be under the effects of a confundus curse) flew into poor Asha Reeves.

Needless to say, Aaron Tyler decided to give up his throne before the end of the season resulting in Professor McGonagall the task to run Quidditch commentary. Everyone knew Professor McGonagall was looking for a replacement but the few who offered to step up to do it either didn't meet the grade requirements or were downright refused a position in front of their peers for poor behavior.

When Lily didn't answer right away Professor McGonagall egged her on with a bit of encouragement.

"Your request for prefect mentioned you want to be head girl as well and having a volunteer position at Hogwarts is _quite_ a bonus for your head girl application." McGonagall raised her eyebrows suggestively and Lily felt a wide smile across her face.

"When do I start?"

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><p><strong>intrigued? have a sneek peek at the next chapter:<strong>

"Is that Lily Evans?" Anthony Hopkins grinned like his day had gotten extraordinarily better, "Wicked."

"Keep your eyes on the game Hopkins," James threatened.

"Oh I'm looking at my prize, Captain." Anthony grinned, flashing Evans a smile from his broom.

"Stop being a _pig_, Hopkins." James was grateful Anna Faith spoke up, coming in defense of her friend, "Lily's way above your winnings."

"Merlin, is she commentator now? She's a _riot_! This is going to be great." James was aware of Lee Burgin's tone of excitement behind him.

James glanced at Lee, "When did Aaron Tyler quit? After Mills ran him over?"

Lee shrugged and Anna spoke up again, "Professor McGonagall asked her to do it this year, probably because everyone knows Mills doesn't dare mess with her again."

"She can certainly hold her own." James agreed, glancing over at the red haired witch appreciatively.


	3. The Captain

_I accidentally started editing the fourth chapter instead of this one and this particular chapter happens to be 25 pages long so it took a bit to __edit-and I'm sure I still missed grammar and spelling issues. This chapter had my favorite canon moment between Lily and James. The particular scene happens to be the one that made me fall in love with the Potter's in the first place. I hope you enjoy my take on it._

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><p><strong>Hogwarts 1975<strong>

**Fifth Year**

**The Captain:**

James breathed in the sweet smell of the freshly mown grass of the quidditch pitch. The gamekeeper Hagrid had mown it just this morning. James was barefoot and grinning as the green stalks tickled his toes. James shifted his leg over his broom and took off into the thick summer air. If anyone saw him out on the pitch they wouldn't be surprised. It was well known James liked to fly by himself on the pitch. The number of times he'd gotten caught skirrving off of detention to go practice quidditch was unlimited.

Wind whistled through his ears as he spun, dove, and swirled around the pitch. James wasn't allowed to fly as much when he was home since muggles lived down the road. Of course, as soon as he was up in the air he felt that familiar thrill of being in control of the air underneath him. Quidditch was magical, exhilarating, and novel all at once—no matter how many times he'd played it. Each touch of a finger could turn his broom ever so slightly and James worked to control his every muscle to keep his flight pattern steady. He practiced drills that he was going to make his team do over and over until they couldn't breathe. He watched the clouds roll above and beneath him. He spotted a group of pretty girls over by the lake edge.

Finished with his workout for the day, James felt refreshed and ready to start the transition from being second in the quidditch league to his team holding the quidditch cup until the day he graduated. James knew he was the best player at Hogwarts now. Everyone had doubted that the scrawny third year Professor McGonagall had picked could lead the Gryffindor house to victory and yet here James was, fifteen years old, and ready to have his team be the best that they could be.

Gryffindor was going to win the Quidditch Cup in 1975 and James was willing to take many risks to get to that point.

The first game of the season came upon him quickly. Half of James' team was recovering from the flu, including his first string seeker. November had come in cold and _quickly_. The grounds were covered from top to bottom in white, fluffy snow. James' second-string seeker, Anna Faith, was recovering in the Hospital Wing after someone pushed her down a flight of stairs and she broke her arm. James wasn't pointing fingers but he had all his money on Samantha Brown in Slytherin being the pusher. Anna didn't see who pushed that day but after a side remark from Slytherin's only female player James was willing to place money on sabotage of his team members.

It didn't matter who was pushed or who had the flu though because the night before the first big match of the season the Gryffindor Quidditch team was _still_ lacking a seeker.

"Why is it _always_ the seeker?" James could be heard complaining to Sirius over dinner, "They're the hardest to replace."

The betting pool started flexing for a win for Slytherin, which drove James up the wall. There was no _way_ he was going to lose to Slytherin. Never again was he letting the Gryffindor team lose to the Slytherin team. Sirius was patting James on the back with his condolences as Remus and Peter snickered looking on. James' obsession with quidditch was comparable to a mad old lady and her cats.

"Faith didn't even show up for remedial charms." Remus told James, enjoying watching James squirm and winking at Sirius. They loved pulling James' leg whenever they could.

Just then a few other fifth year gryffindors walked by chatting and one of them shouted at James, "Evans is looking for you, Potter."

"Prefect Evans?" Sirius started.

"Sirius." Remus warned, reminding Sirius that Remus was a prefect and didn't take kindly to all the _perfect prefect_ jokes.

Mike Thompson grinned at James playfully, "Aye, prefect Evans."

"What'd you do?" all eyes were on James who quickly held up his hands defensively.

"Nothing!" he declared, "I haven't even seen Evans _once_ this week besides classes!"

"She said something about Anna Faith." Mike then stated, throwing his arm around Shelby Mcguire, "That she's out of the Hospital Wing."

"What does Evans care?" Sirius asked, confused.

"First of all," Lori, Lily's best friend jumped into the conversation heatedly, "Lily loves quidditch. Second of all, she gets along well with Anna and was really worried when she heard someone pushed Anna down a flight of stairs." Lori's eyes flashed dangerously at Sirius, daring the bold wizard to say anything else.

"Cheers." Thompson raised a fake glass to James, "but we've got a study sesh at seven and need to be on our way."

James watched Mike walk away with his friends and frowned. So Anna was out of the Hospital but was she well enough to play for him?

Luckily, at last minute Anna Faith _was_ released from the Hospital Wing with a completely healed arm. James almost proposed to the lively blonde he was so relieved to see her grinning and joking with Evans as she entered the Great Hall five minutes after Thompson left. The betting pool became even again with fifty one percent of the Hogwarts population voting on a Gryffindor win.

Game day came early on a Saturday morning in November. The air was warmer than normal for the fall season but students still wore their house sweaters, scarves, and hats. Posters boasted a win for both houses while little house flags were being waved in the air by the first years in the stands. The cheering was so loud that students inside the castle (who had decided to forgo the first match) could hear the chanting from inside the castle walls.

James' blood simmered at the sound of people chanting "GO GO GRYFFINDOR" over and over in the tune of a winner's anthem. James' black hair was haphazardly waving around in the wind while he gazed around at his players that he'd handpicked over the past two years in order to form the best team Gryffindor had seen in years.

"This is it," James announced to his team finally as they stood in a semi circle near the edge of the field, "This is the year. I can feel it."

Anna Faith cheered from where she and Jordan Spikes were plastering gold and scarlet paint on their faces. Two of the second string players started clapping and stomping their feet loudly on the damp ground, chanting along with the growing crowd of spectators. James' other team players began laughing and they were all throwing their brooms over their shoulders.

It was going to be a winning year. James could feel it in his bones.

Apparently, Slytherin was aware at just how many risks James was willing to take this year to get to the top. Slytherin Captain Gregory Mills, was known for his ruthless attacks on and off the field. James spotted the hefty idiot across the field. The Slytherin was standing with his team of specially handpicked players. Gregory saw James looking at the Slytherin team and sent the Gryffindor a rude sneer and a vulgar hand gesture. James felt his face flair up in anger but he controlled the urge to hex Mills from across the turf.

James would get Mills back on the pitch.

"Aim every bludger you can at their captain." James told his beater Anthony Hopkins.

Anthony swung his bat in agreement.

"Happy Game Day Hogwarts," a jolly voice came over the thunder of the crowd, "We have a great game planned for you today: Gryffindor versus Slytherin! While I am a proud Gryffindor I promise not to be _too_ biased when commenting on the status of todays game."

James looked up to the scoreboard stand where he was surprised to see not Professor McGonagall, but a scarlet clad fifth year girl he recognized instantly.

"Is that Lily Evans?" Anthony grinned like his day had gotten extraordinarily better, "Wicked."

"Keep your eyes on the game Hopkins," James threatened.

"Oh I'm looking at my prize, Captain." Anthony grinned, flashing Evans a smile from his place on the field.

"Stop being a pig, Hopkins." James was grateful Anna Faith spoke up, coming in defense of her friend, "Lily's way above your winnings."

"Merlin, is she commentator now? She's a riot! This is going to be great." James was aware of Lee Burgin's tone of excitement behind him.

James glanced at Lee, "When did Aaron Tyler quit? After Mills ran him over?"

Lee shrugged and Anna spoke up again, "Professor McGonagall asked her to do it this year, probably because everyone knows Mills doesn't dare mess with her again."

"She can certainly hold her own." James agreed, glancing over at the red haired witch appreciatively.

James managed to get distracted from the game for a moment to glance in Evans' direction for longer than a second. She was wearing a bright red sweater and her Gryffindor scarf in order to show her team colors. Lily's cheeks were bright red with anticipation of the game starting. Finally, she had been granted some way to be involved in quidditch. She'd come to try-outs a few years back but others had out flown her and she didn't get a spot. James had heard she'd been pretty upset.

Anna shoved his shoulder playfully, making him go ahead of the team again, "You have to pay attention to the game, Captain." She pestered in his ear.

James glared at Anna who shook her blond hair back into a ponytail and winked at him.

Lily's light and cheery voice called out again, "The Captains will now shake hands. Captaining Slytherin is Gregory Mills. I've only met him twice but I'm sure his mother had nice things to say about him."

The crowd laughed and James snorted as brought his hand forward so that he met Mills in the middle of the pitch. Mills' grip on James' hand was resilient as the Slytherin scowled up at the girl commentating. James had a feeling the redhead wasn't quite scared of Mills. She had been the one to single handedly send him to the Hospital wing in their second year. James couldn't wait to hear what she'd say about him, the shining star of Gryffindor quidditch.

"Captaining the Gryffindor team is James Potter who is apparently in a committed relationship with his mate Sirius Black."

The crowd erupted into laughter again and James rolled his eyes and sent Evans a look over his shoulder. That hadn't been _exactly_ what he'd been expecting but as he glanced back at Evans he saw she had a playful look on her face. He noticed Evans was sitting directly next to Professor McGonagall who hadn't grabbed the microphone yet, so clearly she was enjoying Lily's sprightly jokes. Many students had binoculars that were zeroing in on the girl in the commentators box. The seats might be raised high in the air but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

James looked at Mills with every bit of dislike that Mills returned. James noticed Mills looked nervous and that made a flicker of a grin appear on James' face. If Mills was nervous that meant Mills knew Gryffindor was a winning team.

"Once the Captains finishing shaking hands—" James nudged Mill's hand with intended force, "We want a nice fair game!" Lily broadcasted, "So that means no hexing someone who takes the quaffle from you. This isn't Dueling Club."

James laughed and felt a bubble of appreciation for the clever witch in his chest. James ruffled his hair and winked in Evans' direction, hoping that she caught it. Mills snorted and made some offhanded comment about mudbloods and muggles. James turned his head back to Mills, a dangerous look on his face.

"Ready to lose Mills?" James asked confidently.

"Fuck off Potter." Mills replied with a snarl.

Lily continued, "Good luck to both teams!"

The crowd was deafening and James let go of Mill's grasp and flew back to his teammates. Madam Hooch, the witch who taught first years flying, gave a loud blast on her silver whistle from the ground. Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. James immediately directed himself to the quaffle, swiping it out of the air and tucking it safely under his arm.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by James Potter of Gryffindor — he's a great chaser but is quite the quaffle-hog"

James snorted as he dodged a bludger and the Slytherin chaser Cory Flint. He didn't _hog_ the quaffle, he just didn't particularly like leaving the chance of it getting taken from the others.

"James!" Craig shouted, the gold paint was already sweating off his face. He was holding out his arms because he was open for a pass.

"And he's really making his way up the field Oh! A neat pass to Craig Swift. A good find of Potter's, last year only a reserve —back to Potter and — no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle…"

James felt himself knocked left causing the quffle to slip just for a moment but then he was hit from the right and therefore he lost the quaffle to some Slytherin bastard who was laughing and bringing the ball back to the other side of the pitch. James cursed and swung his broom around to see a large black ball zooming in his direction. James directed his broom down and avoided the bludger.

"Hopkins start hitting those bludgers at the other team or I'll murder your cat—" James shouted to his beater as he went after the quaffle again. Barnes was already halfway across the pitch again. James' keeper, Sam Smith was watching Barnes with anticipation and James flew to the right, ready to grab the quaffle when Sam deflected it.

"Slytherin chaser Timothy Barnes gains the Quaffle and off he goes –I think he's going to sc- nope! Stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor keeper Sam Smith—what a looker!"

James saw Sam send a wave to the commentator stand where Evans giggled into her microphone. James snapped back at Sam as he caught the quaffle, "Don't flirt with the fans, Smith!"

"—and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's James Potter of course, Gryffindor there, nice dive around Barnes, off up the field and —OUCH — that must have hurt, Barnes just got hit in the back of the head by a Bludger sent his way by Gryffindor beater Aly Henwitch. Potter is in the way of a clear shot-come on, now, Potter — Slytherin Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE! GO GO GRYFFINDOR!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, and James cheers, throwing up his hands in the air and high fiving his fellow chasers and they race back for the middle where Madame Hooch would send up the replacement Quaffle.

"No sign of the Snitch yet?" James asked Anna as he passed her hanging out east of the goal posts.

She shook her head, her blonde ponytail shimmering gold, "Slytherin's been keeping their seeker on the west end."

"Don't lose it!" James warned her.

"Gotcha Capt'n." She grinned as he zoomed off with the wind cutting through his jersey.

"Slytherin in possession," Evans was saying, "Chaser Landrick ducks two Bludgers, and Chaser Potter, and speeds toward the — it appears the seeker of Gryffindor has spotted the snitch!"

James took Landrick's pause to see if Anna had spotted the snitch, and snatched back the quaffle passing it off to Andrew who zoomed off towards the goal posts. James turned his broom up and rose high above the game and spotted his seeker. Anna was zooming around the field, in circles, the snitch leading her on a wild goose chase. The slytherin seeker was on her tail and James saw him trying to knock Anna off her broom. Anna tumbled for a moment and James shouted angrily as the Slytherin seeker gained momentum. And that's when he heard Evans.

"OI!" James suddenly heard Lily's voice erupt in anger, "Let it be known Slytherin's seeker is a dirty mandrake! Honestly, Madame Hooch that _had_ to be a foul!"

At that moment, James had never had a crush on a girl as hard as he was crushing on Evans as she tried to get Madame Hooch to call a foul. James squinted through his goggles, looking and seeing that his chaser was busy playing a middle monkey feint with a Slytherin chaser and he raced in to help. James ignored Anna, still chasing the snitch, and went to grab the quaffle and then Evans' voice brought the entire game to a halt.

"ANNA FAITH HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH. GRYFFINDOR WINS 160 POINTS TO ZERO!"

James' broom came to a skidding stop and he pumped his fist in the air, shouting, "_yes_!" to no one in particular as his other teammates zoomed in around him. They inducted a massive in-air hug that almost knocked James off his own broom. The students in the stands were cheering and Lily Evans' cheering on the microphone was even being drowned out.

_Gryffindor had won and Slytherin hadn't even gotten a goal in! _

James was euphoric. All the students spent the next several weeks congratulating him on his win. James felt on top of the world. People looked up to him, asked him for flying pointers, and he felt famous. The betting pool for Gryffindor was higher than it had been in years. Mary MacDonald could hardly keep up with all the bets pouring into her arms. James bathed in his compliments and Professor McGonagall didn't give Gryffindor's homework for three weeks.

At the next game, James was so focused in winning again he almost forgot it was a full moon. Sirius had to dutifully reminded him as he went into the lockers. Even then, the full moon was pushed to the back of James' mind as he ordered his team tog et into winning mode. Anna Faith told him to chill out before she cast a cooling charm on him. Both his beaters rolled their eyes at him. He ignored their looks because he knew that as soon as Gryffindor won again they'd be singing his name. Stepping out onto the field, James saw that the Hufflepuff keeper was staring at him with worry in her dark eyes. Everyone said Hufflepuff was going to lose horribly to Gryffindor and all the talking had clearly gotten to Hufflepuff. James grinned, this game was going to be a breeze.

"Happy Game Day Hogwarts!" an excited voice broke over the intercom, forcing heads to turn up to the commentators booth.

An even bigger grin spread across James' face as Lily Evans introduced herself to the crowd.

"I'm Lily Evans, your commentator for the evening. Playing today is Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff—"

"Merlin, she's back again?" James' beater Andrew grinned and threw Evans a wave.

"What do you mean?" James asked Andrew who shrugged.

"Evans has been getting picked on for being commentator by some people." Anthony shrugged, "I thought McGonagall might ask someone else."

"Lily doesn't care what they think, she loves Quidditch." Anna interjected, "She's glad Professor McGonagall thinks she's capable to be commentator."

"More than capable." James agreed, in a softer tone, side eyeing the pretty witch.

"—Grydffindor's Quidditch Captain James Potter wears the number 13 jersey." James grinned at hearing his name come from her mouth. "I have been requested by Sirius Black to mention that he is in fact, not in a committed relationship with Potter as Potter apparently only loves quidditch."

"Oi!" James shouted as people in the stadium laughed.

James could just imagine Sirius going up to Lily and telling her what to say. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm just kidding." She continued laughing, "He's a great player, and everyone should keep their eye on him this game—On Hufflepuff's side of…"

James let her voice trail off from his mind as he rounded on his teammates who were all chuckling at Lily's joke. James ignored them, Lily had said that he was a great player, and to watch him. James felt his stomach flip at the very thought of her compliment.

As the season continued, Gryffindor won every single quidditch game and James was living on top of the world. It was after the Ravenclaw versus Slytherin match that he ran into Lily and had a real conversation with her besides saying hello and goodbye.

"Hey Evans!" he called to her when he spotted her walking back up from the pitch, alone.

She turned and paused in confusion, "What's up, Potter?"

"Nice commententating today." He grinned, jogging a bit to catch up to her.

It was true; she was the only thing not boring about the game. Ravenclaw destroyed Slytherin in five minutes and the entire game dragged. Lily's jokes had kept the game watchable. Lily uaghed uncertainly, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Thanks." She replied, "It was akind of a slow game, I had to find some way to entertain myself. Andrea Wilkin's didn't appreciate my joke about flying like a confounded eagle though."

"That was hilarious," James argued, as they made their way up to the castle together, "she just can't appreciate your humor."

"I was actually kind of mean," she mused, "Even if she _is_ a Ravenclaw and was flying like she'd been jinxed."

"Seriously, was she sick or something? I've seen first years fly better."

Lily shrugged, clearing her throat, "I personally think Ravenclaw's second string is better than their first string. I have no idea why they won't just get rid of half their current players."

"Because the captain is shagging every single one of them." James snorted, glancing her way for a laugh.

He wasn't rewarded with one, "Eric Michaels?" she looked worried, "He's captain."

"Yeah," James rose an eyebrow, "and he's shagging half those girls and that's why he won't replace them. He's trying to make all of them happy and not find out about one another."

Lily looked sick, "He asked me to Hogsmede."

James felt a leap of jealousy but stuffed it down when he saw how distraught she looked. Her green eyes were actually tearing up. James bit his tongue and was unsure of what to say.

"That sucks." Was all he managed to get out.

"Well I guess it's better I didn't go out with him then."

Lily makes her comment final and James hears the sour tone in her voice. He doesn't speak again until they make it to the castle steps and must separate.

"See you at the next game?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Lily's face brightened a bit, "My money's on Gryffindor of course." And with a twinkle in her eye, she walked away.

James watched her go with a smile so wide that Sirius would've punched him. Lily clearly loved the game and appreciated it like him. Her snide-comments whenever someone cheated and her cheering for particularly good saves on his side…James had a feeling they could be friends.

She was _so_ cool and he wanted to get to know her.

It was the last match of the season and Gryffindor was going against Ravenclaw. James wasn't worried because Ravenclaw had lost their best keeper to dragon pox at last minute, and everyone knew that Ravenclaw's team was falling a part. James had heard that someone told all the girls on the team that Eric Micheals had been cheating scum. When he asked Evans about it in the hallway she had only answered with a smirk and a shrug. James had his money on her though.

Either way the game itself lasted only 30 minutes and at the end James didn't even try and act surprised as Lily Evans' voice called over the roar of the crowd.

"GRYFFINDOR CATCHES THE SNITCH. GRYFFINDOR WINS THE CUP!"

James landed his broom screaming his bloody head off and high-fiving his teammates who were all chanting his name and making war cries like they'd won the world cup. James felt unbeatable. Gryffindor finally won the Quidditch Cup. James has built a team of winners.

James spotted his friends and his family coming towards him from the stands and he grinned even wider when he saw they were cheering the loudest. All his friends were there but he still found himself glancing back at the stands to where Evans sat at the commentator's booth. She was getting up with McGonagall, chatting away enthusiastically. Even though she was almost at the opposite end of the field as him, James could tell she had a bright smile on her face.

James was lifted onto the shoulders of his team members. Sirius was shouting for a party in the common room and someone was shoving Gryffindor flags into James' hands. James started waving them like he was guiding a muggle plane to come in for a landing. Albus Dumbledore passed James the cup moments later. James saw Lily looking up at him from beside Dumbledore. James winked at her but was disappointed when she turned away to praise the Ravenclaw seeker who was a friend of hers.

James tried to shove off the disappointment and instead started singing a remixed rendition of the Hogwarts School song with Sirius that sounded ridiculous and mentioned James being the 'savior of the Gryffindor pride'. James loved the taste of winning and shared it with whomever he came across. When he tried to talk to Evans about his plays at the party in the common room that night she had excused herself quickly to go to the card table with her friend Lori.

That was the first time James knew rejection from Lily Evans. James had tried to meet up with her plenty more outside of classes but she dutifully avoided him like he'd caught dragon pox. The only time she spoke to him for real was when he'd accidently grabbed her book in potions and she civilly asked to swap him.

"I don't get it." James muttered to Sirius and Peter as they made their calming draught, "Did you see that look she gave me?"

"I didn't see a look." Peter muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"She acted like I had the plague."

"That's fine, she called me an arse when she caught me sneaking itching powder into Snape's bookbag." Sirius muttered, clearly not interested in the red haired witch's attitude.

"Yeah, but she's never caught _me_ messing with Snivellus." James was pouting and he knew it, but he didn't understand her sudden avoidance.

"I don't see why you care." Sirius lifted his grey eyes from his potion finally, staring at James with interest, "why do you need her approval all of a sudden?"

James opened his mouth to argue then closed it quickly, ruffling his hair, "Let's just do this potion and get out of here."

Soon it was OWLs, the wizardry exams that allowed all students to proceed to their next few years of Hogwarts. The exams were intended to pinpoint where each student excelled and which student failed. James wasn't particularly concerned as he did well in all his classes. Lately all he'd been able to consider was Evans. She was everywhere he was and it drove him mad that she hadn't spoken to him in weeks. When he mentioned this oncern to Remus, the young boy shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe she's nervous around you." Remus suggested as he and James sat in the library together one study break.

"Why?" James implored so loudly that the librarian shushed them.

Remus just shrugged again, seeming to not care why she was so uptight around James. Remus was worried about passing his OWLs. James knew that the young werewolf would be fine, but Remus was always so determined to prove he belonged at Hogwarts that none of his friends could drag him from the library. James sighed and leaned his head in his hands. James really, truly liked Lily for her smile and comedy during the matches. All he knew was that she loved quidditch and that seeker was her favorite position.

Knowing these two facts, James had nicked a snitch from the field and started practicing expert catches on and off the broom. He was seceretly hoping she'd ask for pointers if she saw him. It was hopeless though; Evans was always with her mates and never glanced halfway at James. James didn't even dare telling his friends about her because they'd only tease. Remus was cautious around girls, Peter was in love with Sandra Mellark in Ravenclaw, and Sirius thought they were barmy for even crushing on any of the 'useless birds' as he called them.

James had stopped with his mates in the shade of a beech tree on the edge of the lake not far too from the group of girls Evans hung out with after taking the OWLs. The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake and James heard Lily's laugh (a sound he'd shamelessly memorized) echo across the grassy yard. Remus had pulled out a book and was reading. Sirius stared around at all the students walking over the lawn looking rather bored.

James pulled out the snitch and began letting it zoom farther and farther away. It was almost escaping his grasp but James _always_ grabbed at the last second. Peter was watching James with an envious expression. James knew Peter was horrible at quidditch because he'd played with him enough to know. Every time that James made a exceptionally challenging catch, Peter whistled softly and applauded.

Unfortunately, the person James wanted to applaud for his quidditch skills wasn't even glancing his way.

"Put that away, will you?" said Sirius finally, as James made a satisfactory catch and Peter let out a cheer. "Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement."

Peter turned slightly pink, the comment directed at him using his nickname in their little group. James grinned sideways at Sirius, not wanting to give Sirius any hint that he'd been trying to capture Evans' attention.

"If it bothers you," James replied, stuffing the snitch back in his pocket.

"I'm bored," said Sirius, finally, sending a look to James as if accusing him for the boredom, "Wish it was full moon."

"You might," Remus retorted gloomily from behind his book.

James smiled softly. Since the boys had figured out Remus was a werewolf, they'd come far from their third year selves and actually helped make Remus as much as they could. Every full moon James and his friends transformed into animals to hang out with Remus' furry little problem. Remus was all for the adventures even if he was a bit more cautious than James, Sirius, and Peter. Remus still hated full moons because they took such a toll on his frail body but he told James once that having his friends there with him when he transformed made being a werewolf less lonely.

Sirius sighed brashly and Remus decided to try and get Sirius to stop moaning, "We've still

got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. . . . here." He held out his book.

James turned his eyes away from the pair and noticed someone sitting in the shade of some bushes, gazing down at the lake like James himself had been doing. James saw the curtain of slick black hair and furrowed eyebrows directed in Lily's direction. James was automatically disgusted at the look that this boy named Snape was giving Evans. James absolutely loathed Severus Snape. For some reason he was sure Evans was close with the sallow skinned boy who harbored more than friendly feelings for the red haired witch.

Snape hated Gryffindor's and James was certain it was because the young Slytherin was jealous that he'd never be good enough for Gryffindor. James mostly hated the slimeball because he was known to run with a less than great crowd that attacked and bullied students. Lily and Snape were complete opposites and James never understood how the two could even be acquaintances. If Lily was day, Snape was night.

James glanced at Sirius who turned down Remus' offer lethargically and got an idea.

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is. . . ."

Sirius's head turned to where James had half nudged him. He had his head tilted in sudden interest, and his back was now straight instead of slouching.

"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."

Snape was on his feet again, and was stowing the OWLs document in his carrier. As Snape emerged from the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass Sirius and then James stood up. Remus and Peter remained sitting. Remus was still scrutinizing his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. Peter was looking from Sirius to Snape with a look of enthusiastic eagerness on his face.

"All right, Snivellus?" James asked flatly.

James saw Sirius' eyes sparking with excitement; Sirius loved picking on Severus Snape. Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been imagining an assault from James even if Sirius was normally the one to instigate trouble with Snape. Snape dropped his bag and he plunged his hand inside his robes. Snape's wand was halfway into the air so James took defense and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

A thought crossed James' mind that Evans might get mad but it was too late.

Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter and glanced at James with a wink; he was no longer bored.

"Impedimenta!" Sirius said, pointing his wand at Snape.

Snape was was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand.

Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked hesitant, while others looked entertained. Snape lay panting on the ground like he'd run a mile. Sirius advanced on him, wand up, and James followed Sirius' moves as back up.

Sirius could get a bit throw-y with his hexes and had already been told off once. James didn't need a prefect other than Remus too see—_shite_. James glanced over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. _Evans_ was a prefect.

James wondered if he ought to stop Sirius but Sirius was grinning and watching Snape, completely ignoring everything around him. Peter was also on his feet now, watching keenly, edging around Remus to get a clearer view. Snape glared up at James and muttered unintelligibly under his breath.

James caught a few words about a prat who needed to shove something up his arse.

James frowned tersely, "How'd the exam go, Snivelly?"

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius cruelly. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laughed; Snape wasn't very popular. James knew most found people him to be odd because he was always shoving his face in his potions books. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You — wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. "You — wait. . . ."

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes but with his wand being ten feet away, nothing happened. James heard something about bastards and blood traitors leave the Slytherins mouth. The comments were clearly directed at Sirius who didn't need a reminder from a git like Snape that his pureblood family was mad.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, and choking him —

"Leave him _alone_!"

James felt his spine go ridged at recognizing that voice from every single quidditch game. It was the voice that always called his last name as he scored and led his team to victory. It belonged to the girl he was never able to even get to glance his way.

Until now.

James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand jumped to his hair again.

Evans had her dark crimson hair undone and falling around her shoulders. She looked especially pretty today, even with her green eyes flashing angrily in his direction.

"All right, Evans?" said James, sending her a winning smile.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, looking repulsed. "What's he done to you?"

James decided to joke, wanting to see her frown replaced with her smile.

"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean. . . ."

Many of the surrounding watchers laughed, Sirius and Peter included, but Remus, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and neither did Lily. James momentarily felt his stomach drop in disappointment again.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly, offering her the chance to get to know him, Sirius sent James a weird look, "Go on…go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Behind them, the jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out soap suds as he crawled. Lily flipped her red hair over one shoulder in disbelief at James' offer.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," she half laughed, at if James had suggested the most ridiculous thing in the world.

James looked at her in disbelief now and her eyes met his with precision. James thought he saw a flicker of something cross her face.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, turning back to Snape. "OY!"

But too late; James saw a flash of something behind him and James felt a streak of pain across his face, his robes splattered with blood. Lily had jumped and looked at his robes in astonishment, her green eyes flickering back behind James at what he was sure was an armed Severus Snape. Her mouth was open in a slight "o" like she couldn't believe Snape had just attacked him.

Had she thought Snape was innocent in all of this?

James looked down at his robes and felt a blaze of anger in his stomach when he saw blood stained his new robes. He'd had to purchase them because his old ones were getting too short in the legs. James had shot up by two inches in the past month alone. His mum was going to murder him.

James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd watching cheered. Sirius, James, and Peter roared with laughter. Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said irritably, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upward.

Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. James glared at the Slytherin angrily and Snape started disentangling himself from his robes. Snape got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again at once, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted, this time more directed at Sirius.

Lily positioned herself so she could curse both James and Sirius because she had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily. James had heard she once turned seventh year Gregory Mills into a bear with a single flick of her wand in third year. Two weeks ago she'd hexed Cecelia Spurts with blue warts for six days after the witch cheated on Evans' friend Rick. Evans was a strong fighter and wouldn't hesitate to fight Sirius and James.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James genuinely.

"Take the curse off him, then!" Lily snapped, nodding at Snape, her face enflamed with wrath.

James knew she wasn't kidding and he had a feeling she'd go get the Head Boy if he didn't undo the spell. James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the countercurse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus —"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

There was silence. James felt his heart plummet to his stomach. James was certain Evans and Snape were mates…had he just used the derogatory term? Evans was _not_ filthy—farthest thing from it in James' opinion. Lily simply blinked like she was unsure of what Snape said. James felt pity in his stomach for Lily. She was one thousand times better than Snape and being reduced to 'mud' in front of her peers had to sting.

James thought he saw Lily's lip tremble but her chin rose defiantly as she surveyed Snape with a new look in her green eyes.

"Fine," the emotion had left her voice. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at the Slytherin.

"I don't want _you_ to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is. . . ."

"What?" yelped James, "I'd never call you a — _you-know-what_!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it." Her frown deepened and James thought he saw tears in her eyes, "You make me sick."

She turned on her heel and hurried away, James certainly hoped she wasn't crying. She hadn't deserved to be humiliated by Snape.

"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey, Evans!"

But she didn't look back and James immediately felt bitter.

"What is it with her?" James muttered, glancing at Sirius, trying to look like he wasn't bummed by her words and attitude towards him.

Unlike all the other times James had posed this question to Sirius, this time Sirius seemed interested. It was like a light bulb went off in Sirius' head and James saw his grey eyes flicker to Lily's retreating form.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius, regarding James with an knowing look.

"Right," said James, who was furious now, "right —"

There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside down in the air. Remus was still ignoring the scene but soon James was told off by a Head Boy and sent off to the Hospital Wing to repair his _still_ bleeding face. When he got back to Gryffindor tower he not only spotted his mates but he also spotted Evans.

She was sitting in an oversized armchair, her knees drawn up to her chest, staring into the flames of the fireplace. James felt guilt over putting her in such an awkward situation but he was unsure of how to apologize to her. James felt guilty as he saw her eyes were red from crying. Her mates were whispering in low tones to her and James was certain Lily's blonde friend Lori was glaring in James' direction.

Did Lily really dislike him that much?

He felt his heart drop a bit because he thought he had never been anything but nice to her on and off the quidditch field. James couldn't help staring at her as he went to sit down next to Sirius by the window. Sirius noticed James staring at Lily's back.

"You know about half the girls in this school that actually play quidditch and have a decent personality would be willing to give you a thorough snog?" Sirius joshed, smacking James in the head, "Evans is just the commentator. She probably doesn't even know how to tell regular broomsticks apart from racing brooms."

James sent his mate half a smile but continued watching Evans sit in front of the fire until Remus drew his attention away to study for their last OWL in the morning. He convinced himself that it wasn't important and that if she didn't want to be his friend or go out with him, then there was nothing he could do.

He didn't convince himself very well though.

* * *

><p><em>Here's a sneak peek at the next chapter:<em>

**Hogwarts, Fall 1977**

**Sixth Year**

**The Commentator: An Excerpt**

"I personally think snogging in the restricted section sounds lovely." James shrugged, "Nothing like falling into a stack of books and one of them starts screaming—or leaking acid."

Lily's eyes sparkled, "do y'know that from experience?"

"Not me!" James defended himself quickly, "Sirius."

Lily rose a single eyebrow in defiance of his claim, "Oh really?"

James rolled his eyes but he couldn't wash the grin off his face as they stared at each other, "Don't you have more patrols to do?"


	4. The Commentator

**Chapter 4**

**Hogwarts, Fall 1977**

**Sixth Year**

**The Commentator:**

Lily grinned as she leaned on her father's arm. The steam rolling from the train was covering them in a shimmering morning mist that made the goodbye seem more magical than bittersweet. Her fathers grizzled complexion was content but Lily saw a bit of sadness in his green eyes.

"I'll be back at Christmas." Lily promised him, patting his arm as she unlinked from his hold. "We can go over that new crosswords book Mrs. Gunkel got you."

Her father nodded, smiling sadly as she picked up her belongings that included a small trunk and a secondhand broomstick she'd gotten off a trader in Diagon Alley. Lily brushed back her hair and sent her dad one last wave before he turned and exited the little glimpse of the wizarding world. Lily knew he wondered about the world he let his daughter adventure off too each year. Even the air seemed thick with magic and possibilities.

Lily noted she was runninga bit late from her goodbyes because she was just about the only student standing next to the Hogwarts Express. This was her first year coming alone to the train. Before last year she always had an accompanying shadow.

Despite the falling out with Severus Snape after their last argument over her upbringing, Lily had never felt more alive. She'd spent her summers at small local quidditch leagues watching and even playing when the appropriate team joined the field. She was excited to start a new school year fresh and rejuvenated from her time away.

Lily hitched her broom over her shoulder and spotted another student. He was dressed to the nines, as Lily had seen those exact robes in Teen Witch just a month before. She glanced down at her secondhand dress and grimaced but then looked up quickly at his calm laugh. James Potter was late getting aboard the train but he was laughing so untroubled. His jet-black hair was a mess and his glasses were crooked as he hugged an older woman.

The woman had the whitest hair, stick straight and perfect. James had a had on her cheek and the woman's glasses were just as lopsided as her sons. Lily had seen the pair often at the platform together but something was special about this meeting. That's when Lily realized the messy haired older man with a bent back was missing.

Lily pushed herself forward towards the train cars smiling and not able to take her eyes off the adorable scene in front of the train. James' mum was slapping his cheeks and laughing as well. It was very different from her bittersweet farewell from her father. James and his mum had a very playful air about them.

"I'll see you next year." James' voice was soft as Lily passed, trying her hardest to be unseen.

"Go!" James' mum pushed the boy towards the train.

James paused for one more moment to hug her yet again. She hugged him back with her withered arms, her small head shoved into his chest. Lily couldn't help wondering where _this_ James Potter had been all her school years. She couldn't help but stare in jealousy over his relationship with his mum. Lily's mum had died when Lily was just 13 years old.

"You take care of yourself James." She was shaking her finger at him and he had a sheepish grin, "Stay safe."

"I always do mum."

She gave him a serious look, "I'm serious James, and if I get one more call that you've gotten mauled by a centaur or fallen 80 feet from a broomstick..."

James laughed again, "Mum! I've never fallen off my broom!"

Lily couldn't help smiling as he put her trunk in compartment holding underneath the train. _That_ was the James Potter she knew.

"Notice how you left out you possibly getting mauled by a centaur."

Lily stood up straight and started going to the doorway halfway between her and the Potter family. James turned away from his mum just as Lily tried to climb the steps to enter the train. He hit Lily with a force to be reckoned with and she grabbed the silver handle of the door to steady herself. His grin spread even wider.

"_Oh_."

Lily's eyes flickered up and she flushed in embarrassment. With that grin it was like he knew she was watching him. He looked taller than last year…if that was even possible; he had always been lanky. He was silent, eyes glancing up and down her body like a scanner. They hadn't spoken in months and the silence between them was deafening. James opened his mouth and Lily quickly blurted out something before he could say anything to ruin the impression he'd just given with his mum.

"Sorry." She said pointing to the doorway that led onto the train, "Go ahead."

James always got awkward whenever he was around her. It was mostly because she'd basically told James she didn't want to associate with him when she'd been mad. She hoped he hadn't taken that to heart because she didn't mind him much, she just preferred other people to him.

"_noyoufirst_." He blurted out and then his hand jumped right to his hair like he was unsure of what he'd just said.

It was like he was analyzing everything coming out of his mouth.

"Thank you?" she answered, puzzled.

Silence again. Lily could hear a ringing in her ears.

"You ready for quidditch to start back up?" he asked her.

Lily nodded and let go of the door to eye him better. If there was one thing they could both agree on, it was Quidditch.

She decided to play her cards of humor; "I've got my bets on Hufflepuff, of course."

"You're bluffing." James stared down at her and Lily simply shrugged finding herself watching his mums retreating back.

James was looking like he was struggling to find something else to say to her. James' mum had disappeared and now they were the only ones on the platform. Finally the silence stretched out too long and Lily bit her lip.

"I've—uh—got to go find Lori." She skirted around James awkwardly, "Bye."

Lily was forced to say hello and goodbye to her mates. Lori complained that she hadn't seen Lily in weeks. Lily had to apologize but she had a meeting in the prefect's compartment with the new Head Boy. She walked to the prefect meeting side by side with Remus Lupin who had grown a beard since the last she'd seen him.

"You look distinguished." Lily giggled as they walked along the compartments, "Maybe now someone will actually take you seriously when you deduct points."

Remus grinned cheerfully at Lily and bumped her shoulder, "People take me seriously."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Only because they've seen you with a wand." She replied, speaking of his talent at defense against oncoming curses.

"Some people did question if I'd nicked the badge." Remus muttered, "Apparently without this beard, I look like I'm twelve."

Lily surveyed him with a solemn look despite the twinkle in her eyes, "You just look like a bum too me."

"That's a relief." And Lily beamed at the tone of sarcasm in Remus' voice.

The prefect meeting was a bore as the Head Boy and Girl for their sixth year didn't seem to have an inkling of how to properly govern the students. They were both in Hufflepuff, supposedly dating, and monotone. Lily struggled to keep her eyes open four an hour and by the end of the meeting she was craving a chocolate frog as a pick-me-up.

"I'm getting chocolate from the trolley." She offered to a yawning Remus, "You want to come with?"

Remus shrugged that he didn't mind and the pair walked down the quiet hallway of the train to find the candy cart lady. Lily spotted the snack cart first. There were hardly any students around it but Lily recognized one or two of them.

Anna Faith had one hand on her tiny waist while the other hand examined the candies on the cart. A dark-skinned girl at her side was Anna's best friend Shawn Jones. Lily had only just gotten to know Shawn this summer in the local quidditch leagues. With her flawless skin and black hair she was easily distinguishable on the field. Shawn was also a fantastic chaser because of her long arms and quick reflexes. Lily waved at both of them from beside Remus.

Just then, another person entered the hallway that Lily and Remus both knew. James Potter had spotted Anna pick up a handful of sweets as he exited his compartment.

"Faith, you shouldn't be eating this shit." James barked at Anna. James' voice carried down the hall to Lily's ears.

"He's one to talk." Remus muttered to Lily with a sniff, "James could eat a whole trolley for breakfast and you'd never know it."

Lily smiled as they continued sneaking up on the scene by the trolley, "Anna eats like she has five stomachs."

Anna Faith happened to be one of Lily's favorite players on the Gryffindor quidditch team. Faith played Lily's favorite position, seeker. Faith's small frame and peppy attitude made her a perfect seeker. Anna and Lily had become swift friends in Lily's second year after Lily had approached Anna for flying tips.

Anna dropped the candy when she spotted James coming towards her, "I'll eat what I want!" the blonde announced, her voice carrying down the hallway.

James laughed pleasantly before glancing at Shawn who was staring at James with a look of interest. Anna looked at her best friend and then motioned for James' recognition.

"This is my mate Shawn."

"Captain Potter." Shawn grinned good naturedly and leaned against the candy cart, "Nice playing last year, convinced me that maybe the Gryffindor team was worth trying."

Lily saw that Shawn, who was normally very loud and playful, appeared shy around the quidditch captain. Anna had spotted Lily and Remus so she waved but Shawn and James didn't look up from their conversation.

"You play?" James questioned Shawn, also leaning against the trolley so that he was facing her properly.

"I'm a decent chaser." Shawn answered with a slight flush.

"You should _see_ Shawn on a broom." Lily spoke up, entering the conversation and making her and Remus' presence known. Lily grabbed a set of sugar quills, dropping two sickles from her pocket in the money tin, "Shawn played street quidditch with the neighbor boys this summer and minced them into dust." Lily added post-humorously, "I'd say she's even better than you, Potter."

Shawn was shaking her head quickly at Lily. Lily began sucking on a sugar quill. Instead of shooting down Lily's compliment for Shawn like Lily had expected of him, James simply smiled at Shawn.

"I can't wait to see you play." He told Shawn.

Lily eyed him curiously. She found it odd that he wasn't going to argue that he was a better player than Shawn was.

James grabbed himself a pack of chocolate frogs and a double pack of liquorish wands, "Want anything Moony?"

Remus shrugged and picked up an extra pack of chocolate frogs. The boys paid and James said goodbye to the girls. Anna and Shawn said goodbye. Lily stared at James. He wasn't acting normal. Her flickered her eyes over to Remus who seemed to find nothing odd about James' docile behavior.

_~~~love is a ruthless game unless you play it good, and real, and right~~~_

The start of sixth year had gone off relatively easy. The teachers were preparing the sixth years for their NEWTs despite half the students complaining that NEWTs weren't for another year. It wasn't until every sixth year failed the take home essay that Professor McGonagall had assigned over the summer holidays that everyone stopped complaining and started studying for the retake essay McGonagall was planning for the third week in. Only three people had passed the original essay and Lily was proud to have been one of those students. She wasn't sure who the other two students were but she was sure she'd eventually come across them.

It was the first weekend back that Lily decided to take a walk on the grounds to get away from all her mates struggling over the essay (and asking her to cheat). She was enjoying the warm end of summer air, letting the sun hit against her bare skin. Few students mingled on the lawn—too many feeling the pressures of the start of term.

Lily noted that she saw a lone figure out on the Quidditch Pitch, flying in familiar patterns all alone. She had no doubt that James Potter had already taken to the pitch. She reminded herself that she had a broom now and could fly whenever she liked. She probably would've stood watching James fly, had it not been for the voice that interrupted her thoughts from behind.

"Lily."

Lily's back stiffened and she dared turn on one foot, eyes flashing. Severus Snape took a step back at Lily's flashing eyes.

"I should've figured you'd be out here." He muttered, eyes avoiding her glare, "You always love going for walks."

"Get lost." The tone was anything but inviting.

"I—I just wanted to see how—"

Lily cut him off, pulling out her wand and aiming it at him. Severus' movements to grab her were halted by the appearance of her wand, which was pointed directly between his eyebrows. "Don't pretend to know me." She spat, "We're through."

"Oi," a voice came over them, interrupting their fight, "Step away from the lady, Snivellus."

Someone strode right up to Lily's side and pulled a wand on Snape whose eyes became hostile. Lily paused to glance at her sidekick. Sirius Black was staring viciously at Snape, his hair falling into his eyes like he was some valiant knight from Lily's childhood storybooks. Snape wrinkled his nose in distaste but turned, not wanting to bother with Sirius around Lily.

Lily let go of a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. She glanced sideways at Sirius who was putting his wand away.

"Sorry about him." Sirius muttered.

"Why are you apologizing?" Lily asked in confusion.

Sirius shrugged, "he was following me before he spotted you."

Lily blinked, "Why was he following you?"

Sirius exhaled, "because he's got nothing better to do I 'spect."

Lily stood up straighter and pushed her hair out of her face, "yeah, well, he always did fancy you."

Sirius laughed and eyed Lily with appreciation, "Cheers, Evans."

She smiled faintly at the boy before continuing to take her walk down the lake. She heard Sirius depart to her right and she bothered glancing at his retreating back to see he was making to where James Potter was still doing dives and turns on the Quidditch Pitch.

Lily sighed deeply and felt suddenly very alone, despite that being what she had wanted in the first place.

That night when Lily made her way back to the tower she was greeted by Lori with a half wave as she went off with some boy to the third floor. Lily threw Lori a joke and Lori laughed and that was their only exchange that night. Lily glowered once Lori was gone because she had spotted Potter with his mates in a corner laughing and sharing a drink over the chess board. They were the only ones in the common room who looked like they were having a good time and Lily couldn't resist sitting in the particular armchair facing them as she wrote a thesis for her potions essay.

Lily found herself staring at the four boys more than she probably should. They were always together—at least it seemed like it. Lily had never ever seen friends act so devoted. They shared meals, blankets on the couch, laughter, and more. It was like they were always together, even when they weren't it w as obvious they were communicating using notes and gestures across classrooms. Lily started to see why Severus had always been so fascinated by their comings and goings. They were interesting.

One night as Lily sat by the fire with her girlfriends she heard Anna Faith call across the common room to James. Lily glanced up quickly to catch the conversation.

"_Why_ are we having practice on Hallows Eve?" Anna protested from across the room, her face pointed in distaste.

Sirius nudged James who looked up, blinking rapidly in confusion behind his glasses, "Because I said so?" he said a-matter-of-factly.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter laughed before the four went back to conversing silently by the window. Anna grumbled and fell into the seat.

"Bloody mongrels only care about their gossiping." She moaned, "I swear they're worse than girls."

"Are they always together?" Lily asked Anna; "Sometimes I even see all of them at quidditch practice."

Anna nodded and Lori sighed and placed her head on Lily's shoulder. Lily played with Lori's soft hair absentmindedly. The girls continued talking about the new Witch Weekly article on new toadstool nail polish meant to last weeks. Everyone was using magic to pick the perfect color samples from the magazine by transferring the sample colors from page to fingernails. Lily's nails were currently a very dull brown.

"Ugh," Lily laughed in disgust and showed her nails to the girls who all cackled at the paint.

"It looks like you went digging in Hagrid's pumpkin patch!" Amanda Tyler squealed from the fireplace.

"Seriously Lils, not a good color." Lori mused, waving her wand and removing the brown to replace it with a sparkling emerald, "There!"  
>Everyone <em>oohed<em> and grabbed Lily's hands so they could examine her fingernails up close. Lily did fancy the green but she felt the color stood out too much for her liking. It reminded her too much of Slytherin house so she wrinkled her nose.

"I'd rather have house colors." She debated as Lori argued that the green was lovely, "We do have a match coming up!"

Anna snickered from the couch, "Sometimes you remind me of James."

Anna's comment was so far from what Lily had been expecting that Lily stared at Anna longer than required. The words tumbled around in her head and Anna realized she said something wrong.

"Er," Anna grimaced uneasily, "the quidditch thing. Not the smarmy bastard thing."

Lily grinned delicately, "Yeah, I guess."

Lily considered Anna's words as the nail polish on her fingers was replaced one last time by a pretty gold that sparkled in the firelight. She tried glancing back over at the boys one last time but they had disappeared.

Lily had rounds that night with Taylor Frost, a boring Ravenclaw fifth year who spoke only of constellations and centaurs. By the fifth mention of the full moon outside Lily quickly made an excuse to go check the bathrooms. It was probably her least favorite part of being prefect because some students did stupid things in the bathrooms. Lily would do anything to escape the explanation of an eclipse, even if it meant catching students in awkward situations in a bathroom stall.

Once safe inside the woman's restroom, Lily leaned against the door and breathed deeply in the smell of the recently cleaned toilets. The washroom appeared empty and Lily was relieved as sometimes it had two occupants getting into indelicate situations. She checked herself in the mirror and fixed her fringe when she saw something move behind her.

She turned on the spot to see a student grinning at her sheepishly, caught in the act of sneaking out.

"What are you doing in the girls lavatory?" Lily beseeched.

James Potter looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Quickly, almost like he decided he could talk his way out of getting in trouble, he grinned and shot a hand to his hair. Lily crossed her arms and eyed him with anticipation of whatever wild story he was about to tell.

"What are _you_ doing in the girls lavatory?" he countered, hazel eyes squinting at her suspiciously through his glasses.

"I'm a girl." She reminded him.

James took of his glasses, wiped them on his shirt and put them back on with a look of shock, "Well, look at that! You are a girl!"

Lily actually laughed at his pathetic attempt to get out of the problem he'd found himself in.

"Are you _here_ with a girl?" Lily glanced around the empty bathroom half expecting a girl to come around the corner from a stall, "I'm doing rounds."

James rolled his eyes, "no decent bloke would snog a girl in a bathroom. I personally think snogging in the restricted section sounds lovely." James said sarcastically, "Nothing like falling into a stack of books and one of them starts leaking acid."

Lily's eyes sparkled, enjoying his wit, "do y'know that from experience?"

"Not me!" James defending himself quickly, "Sirius."

"Oh, really?" Lily figured both eyebrows had reached her hairline by now seeing as he was absolutely ridiculous.

James couldn't wash the grin off his face as they stared at each other, "Don't you have more patrols to do?"

"Why?" Lily inched towards him, aware now that he must be covering for someone. He was too calm, like he didn't want her to ask too many questions. "Are you covering for your mate Sirius?"

James smirked, "Why? Are you gonna give me a detention?"

"No." Lily snorted, "But it's past curfew and normally where you are—those other three idiots aren't far behind."

James sighed, "Alas, I am alone. I went to the kitchen to grab a bit of a late night snack when I heard your footsteps." He gestured around them, "Thought you'd walk past as most prefects skip bathroom checks."

Just then a, "Lily, are you alright?" echoed through the girl's lavatory.

Tyler had opened the door but he was still around the corner so he couldn't see James or Lily standing face to face and having a completely ordinary conversation. Lily saw James wince and she quickly pushed the troublemaker behind her, calling out, "Yeah Tyler I uh, just had to—it's that time of the month you know."

"Oh." Tyleer's voice went bland, "Well I'll just continue and we can meet up at the Charms corridor."

"Sounds lovely." Lily managed to convey her voice as welcoming as possible but it was flat, she'd forgotten momentarily the entire reason she'd come into the bathroom was to escape Tyler Frost.

When the bathroom door closed James burst into laughter, surprising Lily. She turned and smiled at him.

"What?" she demanded.

"That was brilliant!" he laughed, hands on his knees, "Frost is totally the reason you came in here to hide away, isn't he?"

Lily was aghast, "I was not hiding away!"

James ignored her because he was too busy grinning at her, shaking his head in amazement, "Why didn't you rat me out?"

Lily considered James for a moment, noting that his eyes held hers quite steady with interest. She wasn't about to deal with Tyler anymore than she had too and she didn't think James was doing anything too terrible if he had just been getting food from the kitchens. Finally, she shrugged.

"Too much paperwork." She stated and he chuckled shaking his head yet again in her direction.

"Well thanks," James edged around Lily towards the door, "I'll get out of your hair then."

"Don't get into trouble and make me regret letting you go!" she shouted after him as he ran out like he was in a hurry.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" he shouted back.

She heard his footsteps disappear quickly and she wondered if he went through a secret passageway to escape Tyler who was heading for the Charms classrooms. Lily glanced in the mirror one last time and saw that she still wore a smile. She hadn't laughed or smiled so much in quite some time and she was thankful for the chance encounter with humorous James. No matter how odd. Her amusement with James quickly turned to something else entirely though by the next day.

There were rumors about Severus Snape floating around school. Lily tried her hardest to figure out what had happened _exactly_ but all she knew was that Severus had gotten into trouble with the creature that lived below the school grounds and James Potter had saved him from certain death. Lori said Sirius was in detention for something and James wasn't speaking to him.

All three boys had bruises and scratches. Sirius winced each time he sat down. Lily saw Sev putting a potion he'd made himself on a cut on his cheek. James was the one who looked like he'd gotten the worst of it. There were talks that he wasn't flying in the first game. Lily hoped it wasn't true.

For everything that she had ever thought of James he was certainly turning out to be quite the surprise. Lily kept notes on him often and now noticed little things that were different from all the years she'd known him.

Lily observed that James and his mates weren't as together as they had been. Peter seemed to be playing owl and delivering messages back and forth to everyone. Eventually, Sirius was the only one who wasn't hanging out with them. Lily had never seen Sirius look so alone.

James got better and played in the next match so of course, Gryffindor won against Ravenclaw by a landslide. Bets for Gryffidor to win the Quidditch Cup were through the roof and Lily had never seen James look more miserable. Last year, when bets for Gryffindor had been high, James had practically been dancing through the corridors…now he walked slowly down them…keeping to himself.

Lily was there cleaning up the quidditch stands as a favor for Madame Hooch when she spotted him, the lone figure on a broom tossing a quaffle up and down. It was freezing, as it had just snowed. Most of the students were back at the castle enjoying hot cocoa with friends. Lori was saving Lily a cup for after her volunteer shift. Interest coming over her, she walked down the stands to where the lone figure was sitting motionless on the broom. As her vision improved when she got closer she saw it was Sirius Black.

He had dark circles under his eyes but all his bruises had healed. His hair looked unkempt which was a weird thing for him.

"Hey."

Furrowing his eyebrows together he lowered his broom until he was face to face with Lily. She wondered if he realized who was talking too him. Lily had her hair piled into a thick woolen hat and a scarf covered most of her face. She pulled the scarf down and allowed him to see her smile.

"What are you doing out here?" she questioned him, "You'll catch your death in the cold."

Sirius wasn't wearing anything but his school robes. Even with all her layers, the cold bit at Lily's hands and her ears were pure red from the cold air stinging them.

"The mates were busy?" Sirius appeared confused at her inquiry.

Lily looked at him in disbelief; "Every single one of your friends was too busy to save you from getting pneumonia?"

Sirius scratched his head, the broom levitating slightly higher when he did so, "Er? …" he gestured to the field, "yeah."

Her head tilted, "You have more mates than those three."

Sirius looked at her in bewilderment, "No," he said firmly, "I don't."

Suddenly, Lily unwrapped her scarf, feeling sorry for him. She shoved the scarf at him quickly, eyebrows furrowed.

"Put that on, please. You're making me cold."

Sirius looked at the scarf, hanging off the edge of the handle of his broomstick. Carefully, as if afraid it was going to turn into a snake, he took her golden scarf. He started wrapping it around his neck, all while watching Lily intently. The silence between them was so thick it could've been cut by a knife. Sirius seemed, afraid, almost. His grey eyes were searching her face like she held all the answers to all his problems.

Lily cleared her throat, "Anyways, I better keep cleaning the bleachers or I won't get the volunteer credit. Just leave my scarf by the fireplace. I'll see you." And she turned and started walking away, her arms wrapped around her body.

Sirius called after her retreating form, "Evans?"

Lily turned back with a feint grin, "Black?"

He grinned and pointed to the scarf, "Thank you."

It was warm, kindhearted, and genuine. Lily's eyes lit up.

"Of course." she called back and waved before he flew off.

Later, when Lily returned to Gryffindor tower she saw her scarf sitting on the chair facing the window, the one she often sat at. Lily picked it up and wrapped it around her neck again so she could take it upstairs with her. Most students were gathered around the fireplace where James was, drinking a butterbeer. Lily glanced at the crowd, debating to be social or not. Her eyes zeroed in on James. He was laughing with Anna Faith but Lily noticed he had dark rings around his eyes too, like Sirius.

They were fighting, she realized.

"Thanks again." Sirius' voice surprised her and she turned her head to see he was approaching her.

"Your welcome." She saw his eyes flicker over to James' party by the fireplace. It was the same look she always gave Severus Snape, dejection. Lily put a hand on his arm, demanding his attention.

"I got into so many fights with Severus. You know we never really saw eye to eye." She had caught his attention, his grey eyes were transfixed on her, "Last year, after OWLs, he proved he didn't care about me and all his apologies never meant anything." Sirius' eyes flickered over to James again, "You and James aren't anything like Sev and I were." She continued, "Your apologies would mean something if you'd buck up your pride and give him one."

"Thanks Evans." Sirius grumbled, giving her an soft punch in the arm, "but I think it's too late to apologize."

"It's never too late if you mean it." replied Lily sincerely.

"Why do you care at all?" he asked with a hard stare down at her.

Lily pulled her hair back, "I've grown up with you two attached at the hip," she grinned, "whatever happened between you and James will probably seem stupid in thirty years when you look back and miss each other."

Sirius narrowed his eyes, "You have no idea what I did."

"Whatever you did," Lily answered, tightening the scarf around her neck, "doesn't matter. Your choices don't make you who you are—the actions that follow your choices do."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief, "You know, you're all right Evans. For a prefect."

She stood on the edge of her tiptoes, "What are you implying? Prefects aren't cool?"

Sirius shrugged his hands into his pockets and stared at her, "Well prefects aren't the brightest but I hear quidditch commentators can be pretty perceptive."

Lily put her hands on her hips, "You really need to stop picking on prefects. Your mate Remus is one if you care to remember!"

Sirius suddenly looked embarrassed and he drug one hand from his pocket to salute her before waltzing away to the boys staircase. Lily watched him go with a frown and she wondered if she should've mentioned Remus as that seemed to have just made Sirius crawl back into his shell. She sighed deeply and kicked the floor with her shoe. Why was she even bothering with Sirius? They weren't even friends.

She glanced back at the fireplace and met the eyes of an interested James Potter. He'd seen her talking with Sirius, she could tell by the look on his face. Lily stood up taller and smiled at James before making her way upstairs to go to bed. It shouldn't be in her interest to help those two see eye to eye but she felt weird not seeing them together. Lily wondered if this was how everyone felt when she stopped hanging out with Severus everyday—only she was sure her mates were thankful.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: <strong>_The Wailing Walston Maneuver: An Excerpt _

"Lee Burgin's parents pulled him from school."

Of all the things James had been expecting to be told, this unwelcome news was not it. He was still recovering from Sirius' trip to the Hospital Wing where Madame was still mending unseen bruises and cuts. Now James had to deal with _more_ unfortunate news.

"We'll need to replace him." Professor McGonagall continued, holding her temple like she had a massive headache, "Our next match, as Miss Evans so quickly reminded us is against Slytherin."

"It's fine, I've got a chaser on reserve—" James started, but he was cut off by more bad news.

"Courtney Hammerstone is on probation for grades." Professor McGonagall looked just as stressed as James suddenly felt, "I already checked."

James resisted the urge to curse in front of his mentor. The next game was so soon and he needed someone he trusted on his specifically organized team. What was he going to do?


	5. The Wailing Walston Maneuver

**Fall Term 1976**

**James Potter's Sixth Year**

"Faith!"

James whipped his broom around in the air. The rain was pelting at him from all sides. The wind was so bad that he'd lost his glasses forty-five minutes before the start of practice just by simply walking to the pitch. He wasn't playing well as result of losing his vision. Mud was sliding down his face and into his mouth as he shouted for his seeker. The rain lightened up and he saw Anna's pale skin and blonde hair. They pulled their brooms up next to each other.

"Capt'n?" she grinned, wiping her chin on her soaked robes, "Had enough of the weather yet?"

Her sarcasm was radiating and James glowered. Anna had tried to get practice canceled the moment they'd stepped out onto the pitch and the dark clouds rolled over, covering what was left of the sun. James, however, was trying to prepare his team for any and all weather conditions. Who knew what the weather would be like come next match? No one.

Even still, James certainly fancied a shower after this mess of a practice.

James nodded humorlessly, "Gather up the second string players and tell them practice is cancelled."

Anna looked too happy for someone who supposedly loved Quidditch. James found his other first string players and one-by-one told them to seek shelter. Most of his players raced off to the showers without cleaning up the pitch—probably as payback to their dear captain who left them to practice in the weather. By the time James had gotten the gear put in the broomshed and locked up tight, he was the last one in the showers.

After scrubbing the mud from his skin and getting his hair to lay flat for a few moments in front of the mirror, James left the showers. He began walking through the passageway to exit and head for the castle.

The hallways were underneath the bleachers of the stadium, creating a strange atmosphere. The ground was dry for the most part but the stands still allowed for some rain to get through. The chill in the air froze James to his bones. James threw his hands over his head to block some of the droplets from landing on his face. The hallway was shadowy since the clouds were blocking out the sunlight that normally lit the passageways. James fumbled with his free hand to grab his wand from the pocket of his robes. He wasn't watching ahead of him and so when he glanced back up from grabbing his wand something metallic hit him right in the face.

"Shit!"

"Merlin!" a voice shouted in distress, "Are you alright?!"

Something large clattered to the floor and two hands grabbed his shoulder blades, shaking him. James held on to his face moaning as he felt something wet and sticky against his fingertips.

"I think you broke my nose!" he mumbled, pulling his hand away to see blood running down his face.

It was only after taking his hand from his nose that he realized Lily Evans was the offender. At her side was the large Quidditch Cup. The silver goblet was freshly polished except for the smear on the front of the cup from his face colliding with it. Lily had a hand over her mouth and she was wincing. James noticed she seemed to be at a loss for words once she realized whom she had knocked into. In fact, she looked alarmed at the sight of him and her face was bright red.

"I—I am _so_ sorry." Were the only words that managed to escape from her rounded lips but then she held out her hand to him.

James flinched as he touched his nose gingerly and felt the sticky residue hat was blood. Lily looked positively flustered. James had been around enough broken noses between fights with his mates and quidditch that he knew he had definitely broken his nose. The blood dripped onto his clean clothes as he pointed his wand at his nose.

"Episky." He said coolly, wincing as his nose reformed and went back to normal.

Lily stood over him awkwardly with one hand still on his shoulder and the other hand offering to help him up off the floor. James just stared up at her in interest.

"It's fine." He almost laughed, "I've fixed enough broken noses in my time." He poked his own nose to prove to her that he was okay. James heaved himself up right and beamed at her, ruffling his hair, "See?"

James had never seen Lily turn a brighter shade of red as she tried to shake her head. She was wearing a pretty jacket made out of corduroy and wrapped up in a maroon scarf. She was clearly soaked and rainwater was dripping down her nose from the storm outside. It struck James odd that she was out here with the Quidditch Cup in the first place.

"What?" James scratched his head, "are you at the pitch for?"

Lily stared blankly at him and then tucked her hair behind her ear and picked up the Quidditch Cup. She showed it to him. James gave her an interested tilt of his head.

"Thought you could go for a walk with a cup?" he teased.

"Do you have a problem with me being down here?" she countered, "I can be anywhere I like."

"I didn't say you couldn't." he chuckled, putting his hands on his hips, "I'm just interested in why you look like you went dancing in the rain."

Lily lifted her chin and the smug look deepened, "I wasn't dancing." She answered haughtily, "I was walking."

James nodded, "Ah," he said like he understood, "Of course, totally sensible to walk in a storm."

"Just as sensible as playing quidditch in a storm?" he laughed and she smiled coyly, "I suppose I am rather drenched though. I forgot my wand in the Trophy room."

James nodded and took one handle of the quidditch cup to help her carry it. Lily led him down the pathways to the office where the cup was kept when it wasn't on display. James assumed Filch was cleaning the trophy room at the castle and needed the rather large cup moved for a spell. James watched as Lily tucked her wet hair behind her ear. He liked whenever she did that.

"So is Gryffindor a winning team?" Lily pondered, almost playfully, eyeing him as they entered the office where the trophy was kept.

"I've got them all on double practices." He admitted as they lifted the trophy into its lighted casing. He added as an afterthought, "And they all want to lynch me in my sleep."

James was rewarded with a laugh from her and he found himself smiling. He had never heard her laugh like that. It was a soft laugh and quite warm. He liked it.

Lily turned to face him while leaning against the case, "You know, Julie Jordan believes you're hogging all the good pitch times."

James wondered how on earth she could've been talking to Julie Jordan. Jordan was a hostile Slytherin pureblood. James had known her since he was younger as their families actually happened to be related. Jordon wouldn't go out of her way to consort with Lily and James figured Lily wouldn't go out of her way to consort with a girl like Jordan. As if sensing his confusion Lily sighed and pushed up off the trophy case.

"I was having breakfast with Sirius," she eyed him for a reaction, he didn't give her one, "and she stopped by the table to tell him that he ought to tell you to—" she went to check the lock on the case, "stop hogging the good pitch times."

"Of course I am!" James cackled deviously as Lily locked the cup in its case and put the key in her pocket, "I've got all the good pitch times to one up Slytherin!"

"You've got your team practicing that much?" Lily looked astonished, "Why?"

"I've got a winning streak to maintain." James answered simply, "I can't let any of my players get lazy."

Lily stared at him far too long, he shifted his feet, "Are you sure you aren't just looking for a distraction?"

He stared at her, perplexed. Lily got her smug look back; James was starting to memorize that look. Lily let her red hair fall from behind her ear and she played with the strands.

"Jordan _also_ mentioned that she would've told you but she was specifically clear in making it awkward for Sir us." Lily recollected, "She was quite keen to find out if he'd been hanging out with you." She lifted her green eyes and James swallowed, "She was trying to figure out who your friends are."

"Everyone is my friend. You're my friend. Remus is my friend. Peter is my friend." James spoke predictably.

"And Sirius?" With her eyes wide and blinking a millions times in a minute she feigned innocence.

James just ogled at the witch in front of him. He turned his back and started walking away, cheeks burning. Behind him he heard her exhale deeply and follow him out, her footsteps light. They walked wordlessly back through the dark hallways together. Every once in a while the lightening outside flashed through the bleachers above James and Lily. Rain poured over the wood walkway above their heads and that was the only thing keeping them semi-dry. Someone could've cut the unease between the pair with a knife. James could only think of the last time they'd really spoken more than a few words and he wondered if Lily was having the same problem. Finally, she spoke.

"Are you going home for the Holidays?"

James shook his head, "Uh, no. I'm not."

"Oh." She started plaiting her hair and staring at the floor.

James wondered if Lily playing with her hair was a nervous habit. She was matching him step for step and James caught her looking at him more than once. He wondered why she had so suddenly pushed herself into his life. A year ago she had been very clear she wanted nothing to do with him or Sirius and now apparently she was spending meals with one of them and attempting to converse with the other.

"I didn't see you at the party after the match against Ravenclaw." She murmured, twirling her hair.

"Perhaps you were spending too much time with your old mate Sirius, then?" James scratched his chin, not able to get rid of the tone of resentment before the words tumbled from his mouth.

"James." Her voice chastised.

It actually caused him stop his slow walk to stare at her. She had never spoken his name with such a clear distinction before. He stared at her suspiciously.

"Sorry for wondering why you are suddenly so interested in me and my relationship to someone I no longer like to associate with." James said in a rush, "I don't remember being this nosy when you stopped speaking to your mate Snape."

She suddenly looked very sorry. "Look," she wrapped her hands up in her scarf like she was trying to order the words coming out of her mouth carefully, "I—I am not trying to be nosy—"

James finally laughed, "Oh that's exactly what you're being."

He was seeing a whole new side to Lily Evans tonight. He had no idea how utterly, downright meddlesome she was. She didn't seem to like being called nosy though by the way she hastily apologized. James leaned against one of the wooden posts holding up the stands and took in a full view of _this_ Lily.

She was staring at her scarf and she pulled and tugged at the ends, "It's just—" she continued, "He clearly misses you."

"Snape clearly misses _you_." He countered back.

Lily wrinkled her nose; "We were never friends like you and Sirius."

James pitied her; "There's more to it than that, Evans."

"He was too nervous to even talk to you," Lily pleaded, taking James' arm with her hand, "Please, I know he did upset you but he—"

James stared at her incredulously, "You have no idea what he did. I can't be friends with him anymore." James felt his temper rise and he slid himself from her grip, "Evans, he almost—"

James watched as she finally lifted her eyes, big and green and teary to whisper something that almost shot him in the gut, "You're letting Severus win."

The thunder cracked outside and lightning lit up the area around them. James had no idea what to say. He was partly furious that Sirius had told her _something_ and mostly nervous at what Sirius had told her. The events that had happened with Severus Snape were supposed to be secret. Those events that Sirius clearly just went blabbing to the first person he could find who would listen: Lily Evans.

Unable to form arguments James just stayed silent. Of all the people in Hogwarts…of bloody fucking _course,_ Sirius would go to her. Of all the people at Hogwarts _she_ was the one who was best mates with Severus Snape. Or had been. James' fists curled up and he felt like punching something.

The green eyes got wider. "Oh—no, no James." Lily rapidly lamented, "I never meant—"

"Forget it." James answered coldly, turning a shoulder to her now and leaving her standing there.

James found Remus as quickly as he could. It was easy to track down the werewolf who had recently taken to studying in the library by the back stacks. Peter was there as well and they appeared to be studying but as James got closer to the table he saw it was just an intense game of chess. When James fell irritably into a seat beside Peter and stopped Remus from making an excellent play the pair stared at James with perplexity.

"Why are you drenched?" Peter demanded to know as James shook off his soaking wet cloak.

James hadn't even noticed the rain when he raced back to the castle. His anger fueled his drive.

"Sirius told Lily about the incident at the willow."

Remus dropped his knight. Peter's mouth dropped open.

"How do you know?" Peter's chubby face was twitching at the thought of the implications of what James just blurted to the table.

"Are you sure?" Remus implored softly, grabbing James' hand in terror.

James groaned in frustration, "I ran into Lily at the pitch and she—she mentioned Sirius and her had been hanging out—"

"Strange." Remus mused, but James noticed a new look at taken over his pallid friend.

"She was talking about my friends and mentioned him—" James threw the last bit of his sentence out like he would talk about a bug in his bed.

"Can you blame her?" Peter and Remus exchanged a meaningful look. They no longer looked worried.

"What?" James implored.

Peter took the job, "Did you ever think," Peter seemed to be calculating every word, "That you're imagining things?"

"What?"

Remus and Peter exchanged another look. This time it was Remus who spoke, with pity.

"James." James stared at Remus, "_Prongs_." Remus seemed unable to form a decent sentence either, "I mean—have you thought that perhaps you're twisting her words? Out of jealousy?"

"Twisting her words?" James scoffed, "Out of jealousy for him? He's perfectly content to hang out with whomever he likes!"

Remus smiled sadley, "Peter and I kenw something like this might happen once you realized just how much time those two have been spending together. Apparently they've hit right off, according to Lily's roommates." Remus shook his head, "I doubt it's anything."

James looked at Remus aghast, "Remus this is _your_ secret we're talking about."

"Sirius is a lot of things James," Remus muttered, "but he's not stupid enough to tell Lily Evans that I'm a werewolf and almost killed her ex best mate, Severus Snape."

"Though she might thank you for wounding Snape's pride, or the little he had." Peter reckoned.

Remus chuckled, "You know Snape still can't look me in the eyes. It's wondrous." Remus feigned Snape's reaction each time he saw Remus in the hallway.

James stared at his two mates senselessly. They were _joking_ about the entire matter. Remus and Peter were _joking_ about the possibility of Sirius telling more people about Remus being a werewolf. It wasn't common knowledge and they all had stopped speaking to Sirius because he'd even slightly mentioned it to Snape. They'd stopped speaking to Sirius because he'd almost destroyed Snape and gotten Remus a one-way-ticket to Azkaban.

Remus took pity on James when he saw James' look, "Ah, James." Remus shook his head, "Sirius didn't tell Lily anything."

"But Lily said—"

"You overthink everything Lily says." Peter commented, rolling his eyes, "Everyone knows you fancy her."

"I might think she's clever but I'm not bloody in love with her or anything," James complained.

"_Think she's clever._" Remus scoffed back, "Please mate, stop lying to yourself."

James ignored him, "Lily said that I was 'letting' Snape win for not speaking to Sirius anymore. Why would she bring Snape into it? Unless she knows what happened at the willow?"

Remus and Peter went silent that that. They hadn't spoken much about Sirius or Snape or the incident in sometime. It had become a sore subject for all of them. Remus picked up his knight and placed it back upright. Peter bit his lip and sniffed, likely remembering the trouble they'd been in during the whole ordeal. Remus then watched two first years pass their table before speaking cautiously.

"I think—and don't get defensive James—but I think Lily is right." Remus leaned back against his chair like he was exhausted, "I mean, who knows Snape better than Lily Evans?"

James clenched his jaw, "Remus we're not doing Snape any favors. He's just lucky I didn't let you kill him that night."

"No," Remus scratched at his face, "Snape is simply lucky you are halfway decent when your having a good day."

"Halfway decent." Peter snickered, flicking a piece of dust off their table, "Sirius wasn't _totally_ out of line. Snape's the reason we lost the map."

James ignored Peter, "Remus," James leaned towards the werewolf, "How is not speaking to Sirius in any way letting Snape get what he wants?"

Remus smiled dejectedly, "Because we're miserable."

With his face in his hands and anger settling in the pit of his stomach, james certainly felt miserable. James shared a look with Peter.

Remus sighed when neither of his friends replied, "Snape got what he wanted, Lily's right. We're no longer the Marauders. We're not even close to what we used to be."

"We never have fun anymore." Peter halfheartedly established, "And we swore we'd never let anything come between us."

James swallowed deeply and lifted his head from his hands, "But the secret—"

"I'm not saying we have to all sing songs and drink firewhisky together again," Remus stood up and stared down at James and Peter, "But perhaps Lily was onto something."

"Where are you going?" Peter asked Remus who pulled on his book bag.

"I've got rounds tonight on the third floor." Remus replied, "See you both back at the common room."

Peter and James watched Remus leave silently. James ruffled his hair and leaned into his chair irritably.

"You reckon he's right wormtail?" James asked Peter.

Peter wrinkled his nose like a rat squinting, "That's the problem with Remus," Peter pointed to the chess game that he'd been playing with Remus, "Remus is always right."

James looked down at the chessboard to see Remus had moved his knight without either James or Peter observing. Remus had won the game. James considered Remus' words carefully. If Remus was suddenly so willing to perhaps let Sirius back into their lives again…

James and Peter walked down the hallways after Peter had figured out he'd promised to meet some bird tonight. Peter was describing some fifth year Ravenclaw with the perfect complexion and snogging skills. James humored Peter but he honestly wasn't listening to his poor mate. He was just thinking about Remus, Lily, and Sirius.

Peter and James separated, as James still hadn't eaten his dinner and the Great Hall would stop serving food soon. As James settled into a seat at the Gryffindor table he remembered how many times Sirius had tried to apologize.

Sirius had tried apologizing multiple times to both James and Remus. Finally, after James threatened to dismember him, Sirius backed off. Sirius had bid his time alone for a bit and James had always scrutinized him from afar. Sirius was always a bit of a loner because he normally was standoffish unless your friendship suited his needs. He only found loyalty to those who looked past his rough exterior and managed to see him for the complete brat he was on the inside. James had often said that Sirius' animagus, a big black dog, was ironic. Sirius was very much a handsome Labrador with the loyalty to boot but he was also very prickly to those who prejudged him.

James was eating his meal alone. He was one of the last in the Great Hall and he took out his favorite book instead of the Potions essay he should've been doing instead. The book was on famous Quidditch maneuvers and he tried to gather some new ideas for the next match.

As he read about defensive maneuvers during snowstorms a few stragglers to dinner walked in. The only reason he'd looked up was because they were being loud and their voices echoed obnoxiously. Even Professor McGonagall, the only teacher left at the teacher's table, looked up. It was a bunch of Death Eater wannabes. James' eyes zeroed in on their leader, Gregory Coeur. Coeur was old blood and had a very overconfident look about him. He was the ringleader of the sixth year Slytherins and he wasn't known for being particularly pleasant either.

They were obviously drunk, though James couldn't prove it. He could simply tell by their sloppy postures. They were yelling for food and beverages. They all piled onto the table next to Gryffindor's and started passing around leftover plates. One boy looked like he was about to puke over the mashed potatoes. James rolled his eyes in revulsion. Someone down the Gryffindor table scoffed loudly over their behavior.

James looked down the table in surprise, having though to be the only one at the table. Low and behold Lily was the one sitting not too far, glaring at the Slytherin table angrily. At her side was Sirius. James met Sirius' stare for the first time in weeks. Both boys turned back to the Slytherin table quickly.

"Oi there Greg!" Marcus Bimway snorted when the noise of protest over their entrance captured the Slytherin's attention, "Got a couple of mud fevers."

James heard Couer's dark laugh. James' blood boiled at the term for purebloods associating with muggleborns. A few seats down lily had grabbed Sirius' shoulder to prevent him from jumping at Bimway. James turned away too and tried to go back to his book.

Hector Zamboni, an ugly brute of a boy, spoke next with a sneer in Lily's direction, "Careful Greg, mudblood's are a bit touchy."

James' back bristled at the derogative terms but before he could turn around and tell off the idiots he heard a loud crack. When he looked back behind to the Slytheirn table James saw that Marcus Bimway was sporting a rather large boil on his nose that only kept growing. He was hollering and James heard giggling coming from down the table. A bemused Sirius was twirling a freshly used wand in his fingers with Lily giggling into her hand and checking to make sure Professor McGonagall hadn't noticed the quick magic used by Sirius. Professor McGonagall was speaking to a first year Hufflepuff and hadn't noticed the altercation between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

"Oi, Bimway." Sirius' tone was joking. It was a characteric James hadn't seen in months from Sirius. James saw the way Sirius was leaning into Lily's supportive hand. He saw the way Lily's eyes were twinkling as Sirius spoke, "I do believe your nose is looking a bit touchy. Might want to get that checked out."

"Fuck off!" Bimway snapped at Sirius who only snickered.

Lily clucked her tongue cynically, "Sirius, I'd say it's a bit more than his nose that's touchy."

Lily and Sirius laughed, turning back to their meals. Lily took her hand off Sirius' shoulder but James noticed that Sirius kept sneaking glances back at the Slytherin table. James tried to go back to his book but now he was all too aware of the presence of his fellow Gryffindor's.

They were going over the potions essay James had yet to complete. He could hear Lily rattling off proper ingredients to Sirius. Sirius was clearly checking to make sure they'd gotten all the proper ingredients. Soon, James was able to clear the pair from his head.

The chapter was on famous defensive maneuvers played by professional quidditch teams in the league. James was reading up for ideas and he tried to bury himself in the book. A particular passage caught his eye.

_The Wailing Walston Maneuver is a defensive tactic nicknamed so because of William Walston in 1952. William was a keeper on the Hornsbee Hinkypunks. Walston joined the team alongside his friend Josh Rider who was popular and a great quidditch player. Walston apparently jealous of his friend, sought to become the best on the team. As the Hinkypunks rose to compete in the semi finals, Walston was busy getting insider tips from the other teams, changing their plays so the Hinkypunks were always defensive. The entire team raved for Walston, voting him captain over Walston's forgotten friend Rider. When another Hinkypunk player named Andrew Cait saw Walston sneaking out game plans of an opposing team he tried to confront Walston the night before the semi final. Walston, fearing retribution from his teammates and losing his status, locked Andrew Cait in a broom closet. In order to cover for himself, Walston told his team that Cait had been in a flying accident and was recovering at Saint Mungos. Walston planted evidence on each of the opposing teams captains, causing distrust to rise amongst all players. Rider began getting suspicious of Walton's behavior and tried to put in a motion for Walston to be removed from the team but Rider was mysteriously benched in a prompt press conference. Rider went snooping around the Hinkypunk's practice field and was caught by Walston who had Rider thrown out of the stadium. All of the players began only trusting Walston who manipulated his power in order to get them to the finals. It wasn't until the quidditch officials found Cait locked in a broom closet bound in rags that Walston was charged and banned from the league. The Hinkypunks were rebuilt under the guiding hand of Josh Rider but not in time to win the finals. -_

James blinked. Playing with the minds of the team and rendering them unable to play properly. Playing all sides for complete control and destruction. It sounded familiar to his current situation. Snape had played James and his mates for their weakest point: Remus' secret. Snape had wrecked their game because he'd made it so that the game could no longer exist. He'd destroyed the trust between teammates. He'd purposely planted a seed of distrust. Whatever Snape's intent—Lily had been right.

They were letting Snape win by removing Sirius from the picture.

James glanced over to where Lily and Sirius had been studying. They were gone, probably to study somewhere quieter. He exhaled and figured that he ought to stop reading about quidditch and comparing it to his life. James still had to finish the potions essay he had been ignoring all week. James hated potions.

He figured that the dungeons were his best bet at finishing the essay quickly and with little pain. Slughorn always had a stash of books at the ready with all the proper listings of ingredients. James had no doubt that's where Sirius had gotten the book that Lily and him had been double-checking. James could have the essay done in no time and then he could go to sleep.

James packed up his bag and glanced over at the teacher's table where only Professor McGonagall was reading over a bunch of papers in silence. James smiled to himself and while pushing back his hair; James made his way for the stairs that led to the dungeons. James hated the dungeons as they were always dark but it was where Potions had always been located. James shivered as he descended into the darkness. He always felt like there were Slytherins waiting to ambush any student found down there alone. Only brave students ventured into the abyss alone.

As James made his way to the positions classroom he cocked his head in confusion. There was a commotion up ahead. Vigilant, James pulled his wand from his bag and lit it so that light was cast across the arched hallway. Ahead of him were shapes, dark people shapes. Some moved away from his light, shouting to run. One was motionless on the floor. James watched as one figure grabbed the person on the floor and they began running away. Only a few were left now and James' wand light fell upon them.

Immediately James spotted closest to him a redhead pushed up against the wall in a way that made him sick. Her feet were dangled about an inch off the groung and her face was facing James, eyes wide in distress. Her face was pale against the light of his wand. Lily was struggling against the embrace of the hands against her wrists as Greg Coeur sneered at her ear.

"_Stupefy_!" James didn't even think as he aimed his wand at Coeur.

Coeur fell to the floor and Lily scrambled away from the boy on the floor, her chest heaving and James saw a trail of shiny tears on her cheeks. He made his way for her, to get her behind him so he could protect her. Lily however, didn't even pause to glance at James because she turned to jump on the back of a wizard aiming spells at someone James couldn't see.

Maneuvering himself to look around the wizard and Lily, James felt another lurch in his gut. Sirius was holding his head, a large gash on his forehead making blood run steadily. Sirius hadn't seen James; he was too busy trying to disarm his attacker. James recognized one of the other boys from dinner named Marcus Bimway.

Lily had momentarily distracted Bimway who began trying to knock her off his back. She screamed as he pulled at her hair and threw curse after curse at his backside to try and get her off. Lily was ripping her fingernails into his face shouting at Sirius to run and get help. James pulled up his wand again and raced along the side of the wall to get at a better vantage point so he wouldn't hit Lily if he sent a curse flying in Bimway's direction.

"Help's here!" James announced, sliding into action and pointing his wand at Bimway who cringed at James' reply.

"James!" Sirius looked relieved at the sight of James, almost reconditioned.

Bimway took advantage of Sirius' distraction and aimed a spell at him, sending Sirius flying into the wall. Lily screamed Sirius' name in alarm before pushing herself off Bimway. James sent a stunner at Bimway who deflected it and pointed his wand at James' neck threateningly.

Bimway kicked at Sirius' form on the floor, "You shouldn't associate with a blood traitor and a mudblood."

Lily was fumbling around in the dark, James heard her muttering angrily somewhere to his left. Bimway was advancing on him, James held his ground. Bimway tried to send a spell in Lily's direction and James quickly deflected it. There were footsteps of someone running up the corridor, away from the fight. James let his eyes leave Bimway for one second to see Lily running up the corridor.

"_Shite_ mudblood." Marcus glanced back too, before sending up shield charm to block James' oncoming charms.

"_Exspelliarmus_!" James shouted incessantly at Bimway, trying to make it so the wizard would lose his wand but Bimway only kept deflecting James.

Someone on the floor to James' right stirred. Coeur slowly got up from the floor to stand beside his mate, wand pointed at James as well. Coeur wiped blood from his mouth and looked pleased to see it was just James left standing. James backed up and to the side, where Sirius was breathing softly on the floor. It was two against one. James could feel a bead of sweat drip down his neck. At his feet, Sirius was moaning. Where was Lily?

Almost like she'd heard James multiple footsteps were coming down the corridor, hurried footsteps. The Slytherins heard them too and Bimway shouted out to run. Throwing up defensives Bimway and Coeur made a run for it like the other Slytherins who had run when they'd seen James' approach. James sent spell after spell after them and hoped at least one of the boys would wake up in the morning with more than bloody knuckles.

James would've hurried after them, if it weren't for the stirring body at his feet. James knelt down, putting a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Are you okay, Padfoot?" the old nickname slipped of his tongue so easily.

Sirius looked up at him with blood dripping down his temple, "you alright, Prongs?"

"_Agrippa_ not again!"

James looked around and saw it was Professor McGonagall, wrinkled face as white as a sheet. Lily was beside McGonagall panting furiously, staring down at the boys with worry. Lily's eyes then hurried around the scene, noticing the original fighters were now gone. Her shoulders dropped.

"They—they were here." Lily looked upset, "I swear it."

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall seemed unwell, "Please help up Mr. Black and accompany Miss Evans and I to the Hospital Wing."

James nodded, throwing Sirius' arm over his shoulders and lifting the young wizard up slowly. Sirius moaned and let his head hang in anguish. Lily placed a hand on her mouth and rushed forward to help Sirius.

"Y'right?" Sirius asked Lily softly as she lifted his other arm over her shoulder.

"I'd be worse off if you hadn't disarmed your brother." She muttered back, brushing at Sirius' hair so it didn't stick to the blood on his brow.

"Your _brother_?" James hissed, feeling like his heart was pumping his blood so fast he'd explode.

Sirius turned his head to look at James, "He was hanging out with the whole lot of those-gits."

"Yeah well," James said fiercely, "That's no surprise, your brother never had much sense." They started down the corridors, moving slowly.

"Was is a provoked attack?" Professor McGonagall was opening doors for them, gawking anxiously at Sirius and Lily.

Lily shook her head heatedly, "Sirius was accompanying me down to the return a book…they attacked us from behind. At least six of them. Some of them ran off when James appeared." She sighed, "we would've been fine but I forgot my wand in the Trophy Room and still havn't retrieved it."

James saw Professor McGonagall's lips thin out dramatically, "I'm afraid," professor McGonagall said weakly, "That it is in your best interest to not travel without your wand again Miss Evans."

Lily looked like she'd never even shower without her wand again. James considered that he often left his wand odd places too…it wasn't a good habit. James and Lily followed their Professor into the Hospital Wing where immediately the Healer took Sirius to a bed and started examining him. Professor McGonagall was speaking to Lily in soft tones by the door, as James stayed by Sirius' bedside.

Sirius muttered angrily, "It was because it was Lily and I." Sirius made a face, "they just wanted to make a point."

"I'm going to kill them all." James hissed as he watched Sirius swallow a nasty looking potion.

Sirius gave the potion cup back to the Healer before considering James thoughtfully, "How'd you know we went down there?"

"I didn't." James shrugged, "I was going to grab a book for that potions essay…"

Sirius laughed and winced as it made his cut bleed more.

"I noticed you were reading quidditch at dinner." Sirius sounded amused even though he looked miserable as he settled into the hospital bed, "I wondered where Moony and Wormtail were."

"They both-" James faltered, realizing this was the first normal conversation he and Sirius had spoken in months.

Sirius saw the look cross James face and Sirius shook his head. They were silent, just staring at each other with no words needing to bed said. James bit his lip and pushed his fingers throguh his hair.

"I'm sorry." Sirius whispered, "You know I am."

James let his shoulders drop in defeat. Sirius was his best friend and had been since first year; of course James knew Sirius was sorry. James nodded stiffly to Sirius who looked relieved. Sirius was put to sleep with a sleep draft and James got up from his chair, intending to go ask Lily how she was.

"Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall came over, distracting him.

James noticed Lily was standing not far off, biting her lip and staring at Sirius gloomily. She had blood on her cheek but it didn't look like it was her own. Lily took a few steps towards James, her eyes remaining on Sirius.

"Yes professor," James answered dutifully, turning his gaze back to McGonagall.

"If you wouldn't mind accompanying me to my office." Professor McGonagall asked courteously, "I'm afraid—"

"You aren't going to penalize him for fighting are you?" Lily stepped forward suddenly, her eyes racing with concern, "Professor, James was the reason I was able to come get you."

James had never overheard Lily defend him so quickly and surely. He stared at her in shock but she didn't even glance his way because she was too busy staring down McGonagall. Professor McGonagall dipped her head in acknowledgement.

"I understand Miss Evans but Potter and I still must speak in my office."

"But Professor that's totally and completely ridiculous!" Lily's attitude cut sharp, "I mean he—"

Professor McGonagall interrupted Lily with a air of disregard, "While I admire your loyalty to Mr. Potter—Lily's face went bright red and James grinned—I am simply asking him to my office to discuss more private matters befitting the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."

If it was possible, Lily's face turned redder, "Oh." Her gaze flickered to the floor before she got the enthusiastic look in her eyes. The quidditch look. "Wait? Is something wrong? Gryffindor's due to play Slytherin next and—" at Professor McGonagall's stern look, Lily stopped her rant midsentence, "Er," Lily sat in the seat James had abandoned at Sirius' bedside, "Never mind."

Still smirking at Lily's justification of his actions James sent one last glance at the redhead sitting at Sirius' bedside before following Professor McGonagall out of the Hospital Wing. Her office was only a mere few minutes walk. On the way there James saw her wave her wand. Papers came flying from down the corridor and she caught them with the skill of a seeker. As McGonagall fiddled with the papers she cleared her throat.

"Miss Evans is quite the character."

James grinned stupidly, "Yes, Professor."

James fell into his favorite seat in front of her desk, the one he always sat at. James began helping himself to a cracker as she sat down slowly at her document-covered desk.

Professor McGonagall's office was probably his favorite teachers office. She had lots of books on Transfiguration lining the walls. She also had potted plants she'd gotten from Professor Sprout suspended magically from the ceiling. Each of the plants had different colored vines that hung down and sometimes James could touch them if they grew too long. Gryffindor memorabilia lined the back wall, reminding all who entered the office what house the Professor belonged too.

"Are we going to have to cancel the game then?" James asked McGonagall, "On account of Slytherin being full of rotten gi—rotten idiots?" he was carful to remain not too relaxed around his favorite professor.

McGonagall tucked lose strands of her greying hair into her tall witch hat, "I'm afraid I cannot prove who attacked your friends down in the dungeons Mr. Potter."

James shot up indignantly, "Professor, does it matter? Sirius is—"

"Potter," Professor McGonagall cautioned his tone, "These are not the first attacks that have happened and I, nor any of the other professors, have been able to catch any culprits in the act. We can't accuse someone of something we didn't personally see."

James protested, "So they get to continue just attacking students?"

"Until I or one of the other professors is able to determine the—"

"But it's all of them!" James jumped from his chair, "I mean Coeur had Evans bloody _pushed_ up against the wall and you're telling me you can't do anything? I mean—"

"James. Sit down."

James stopped shouting, Professor McGonagall's soft warning using his name causing him to falter. Professor McGonagall was not one for calling her students by their first names unless she was serious. Slowly, he sat back down in his seat.

"I was meaning to call you in here tomorrow to discuss these attacks as a matter of fact," Professor McGonagall continued, "I'm afraid there is a slight problem."

"I'd say so considering half our house is being—" James started up again but McGonagall pointed a warning finger at him. "Sorry, go ahead."

McGonagall furrowed her temple; "Lee Burgin's parents pulled him from school."

Of all the things he'd been expected to be told, this news was not it. Lee was the best chaser on his Quidditch team. Lee had been a steal three years ago. The poor bloke had played some muggle game his whole life and was introduced to quidditch his first year. As it turns out the muggle game had adapted Lee to becoming the perfect chaser. Everyone envied James for having such a good chaser at his side. How could Lee be leaving?

"Why?" James pushed his hair back in frustration, "Was he attacked?"

Professor McGonagall nodded gravely, "Mr. and Mrs. Burgin were concerned for his safety after receiving an owl from him last week—"

James argued venomously, "Why didn't Burgin tell me? I would've found those stupid bigots and—"

"Lee Burgin is a halfblood." Professor McGonagall stood up from her desk; demanding James' full attention, "You saw what happened to Mr. Black tonight. They aren't just picking on the muggleborns anymore, Mr. Potter."

James opened his mouth to continue arguing but he stopped himself. Lee was the second best player on the team and was in his seventh year. James felt his stomach drop at the idea that Lee was not going to graduate from Hogwarts. His parents must've pulled him because of his blood status. James had noticed the boy had been a bit peaky at the start of term.

"These days are getting darker and more students besides Lee will be dropping out." She put her fingers on the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, "We'll need to replace him. As Miss Evans so kindly reminded us the next match is against Slytherin."

"It's fine I've got a chaser on reserve—"

"Courtney Hammerstone is on probation for grades." Professor McGonagall looked just as stressed as James suddenly felt, "I already checked."

Professor McGonagall was forced to send James back to the common room with Gryffindor losing ten house points because of the excessive swear words falling from his lips as he struggled to come up with a way to find a talented chaser come the Christmas holidays.

Everything was falling to hell.

He had two weeks before everyone left for home and then he had three weeks when they got back from holidays before the match. Which gave him zero time to find a proper replacement for a chaser.

Sirius was in the Hospital Wing recovering from an attack by pureblood extremists threatening Hogwarts and the way it was run.

Remus and Peter were unaware of anything that had happened since he'd seen them last.

And on top of all that, as James settled into his four-poster bed, he realized he never did do his potions essay.

It would be a miracle if he made it to the Winter Holidays.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> _The Replacement-An Excerpt _

"Did you just use a quidditch analogy?" James grumbled at Lily, not bothering to remove his head from his arms.

"I mean you use them all the time." Lily spoke lightheartedly, "What was that one about the Wailing Walston?" She was rewarded for her slip by James' ears going red in embarrassment, "I _love_ that one." She said with conviction.

James' head shot up, "Sirius." He hissed of his traitorous best mate.

Lily cackled in confirmation of Sirius' obvious slip of the tale, "Come on, Potter," she held out a hand to him.

"If she's shit on the field so help me Evans, I _will_ kill you—" James took Lily's outstretched hand.

"You'll be thanking me the moment you see her in action, I promise."


	6. The Replacement Maneuver

**December of Fall Term 1976**

**Lily Evan's Sixth Year**

"If I have to break up one more scuffle between the Gryffindor's and the Slytherin's over a quidditch match." Lily muttered to her friends furiously after she had just saved a first year Gryffindor from getting hung on a light fixture, "I will pull my applications for Head Girl."

Mary snickered as Lily sent a dutiful glare at the Slytherins she had rightly scolded. One of them flipped her off and Mary grabbed Lily's arm to stop her from jumping the kid who laughed and walked away. It was now common knowledge now that Lily Evans had run into several Slytherins in the dungeons with Sirius Black.

Everyone had seen Sirius' bruises when he'd come into the class the morning after and sat beside James Potter with a look that warned everyone nearby to not say a word. Lily herself was still struggling to not tell many people about the conflict that had happened. Professor McGonagall had asked her not to tell many people so as not to raise the alarm of the younger muggleborn students.

"There is a reason the Slytherin symbol is a snake." Lori said with a scrunch of her nose and a flip of her flaxen hair, "They're slimy and gross on the outside and all pointy teeth on the inside."

All five Gryffindor girls walking down the hallway unanimously agreed with energetic nods. Lori opened the door to the Great Hall and all the girls paraded in towards the Gryffindor table where many students sat eating lunch before it was time to set off to their next class. Lily dropped into the seat on the right of her friend Abigail Kraft. Abby had already begun eating a sandwich and reading a paper for her next class.

Lily was examining the table for something she actually wanted to eat when she spotted someone by the rye bread pudding. Lily called his name and Sirius looked up in surprise. He was wearing his robes loose on his shoulders and the shirt under them was a muggle shirt with a band Lily recognized inscribed on it. Lily wondered if Sirius dressed the way he did in spite of his pureblood upraising. Sirius' shoulders relaxed when he saw who was calling to him. Lily stood up to join him despite her friends begging her to stay at the spot she had already chosen.

"I'll be right back." She promised deceitfully, waving to a pouting Lori as she danced around the edge of the benches to reach Sirius.

"Hey." She began cheerily, falling into the spot Sirius had just created for her by scooting closer to the edge of the bench he'd claimed, "How are you feeling?"

Sirius pulled back the bit of hair covering his brow and Lily studied the cut on his forehead with tightened lips. Sirius, meanwhile, was examining her wrist resting on the table between them. A look of disgust crossed his face when he grabbed her hand to get a keener look. Lily inhaled and tried to look impartial to the sudden flex of her wrist, her eyes gave her away.

"They hurt you." Sirius grunted his eyes going directly to the Slytherin table with revenge sharp in his eyes.

"I'm fine." Lily insisted, yanking her hand from his grip, "Coeur barely touched me."

Sirius snorted like he couldn't believe Lily was trying to brush off her welts from the fight in the dungeon. Lily decided to change the subject briefly. She noted that the dark circles under his eyes had vanished and he seemed different than in the recent weeks—he seemed—content.

"James spoke to you." She assumed out loud.

Lily saw Sirius' smile return to his face like the sun after a rainstorm.

"Remus sat next to me in lecture this morning." He picked up his fork and inspected it as he spoke, "and Peter had breakfast with me this morning."

"That's fantastic!" Lily emphasized her excitement by grabbing Sirius' arm and kissing his cheek.

Sirius blushed but was clearly pleased as well of the recent events in his life. Lily settled into her seat cheerfully and decided to take lunch with Sirius. She ignored the annoyed stares her girlfriends were giving her down the way. Lily asked Sirius to pass her the rye pudding and she piled a healthy serving on her plate.

"What do you think finally brought James around?" she asked Sirius absentmindedly as she spooned the pudding into her mouth, "Saving your life in the dongeons?"

It was true; Lily wasn't sure what would have happened if James hadn't stumbled upon the fight. Lily checked for her wand in her pocket out of reflex. She'd never leave her wand ever again after she'd found herself defenseless against the Slytherins. If Sirius noticed her little shake to find her wand, he didn't mention it. Instead he looked at her with a sly smirk.

"You know, it's actually strange." Sirius commented lightly, "when I ran into James this morning once I was out of the Hospital Wing, he mentioned something about someone talking to him about forgiving me."

"Weird." Lily couldn't hide the triumphal grin on her face so she took a large bit of pudding.

Sirius leaned closer to her, "Yeah he was going on about some waddling walston quidditch shite."

"The Wailing Walston Maneuver?" she was intrigued as she had said nothing of the sort to James when she'd mentioned Sirius.

The Wailing Walston was a quidditch maneuver of using other teams plays to turn your team against each other. A captain who'd been cheating and tried to place the blame on other members of his own team had destroyed his team's chances of being a winning team. Later, the captain Walston was found out by his mate Rider and stripped of his authority. It was an emotional maneuver than anything and not really a _maneuver_ as much as it was a reminder to quidditch captains not to throw their players under the dragon.

Sirius nodded in response, "Yeah, that."

"What about it?" Lily asked.

Sirius seemed amused at Lily's bewilderment; "He was using it as an analogy to his life experiences."

"Quidditch analogy to his life?" Lily snorted into her pudding.

"He's a complete nerd." Sirius agreed with a snicker, "Do y'know he collects and _trades_ chocolate frog cards?"

"Doesn't surprise me." Lily grinned before egging him on about the Wailing Walston example James had used as the entire situation was comical, "Why was he making an analogy to his life with that particular story?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "He was in a hurry to get to McGonagall's office this morning so I honestly only got snippets and I pieced together what he was saying." Sirius nudged her in the side, "But your name mysteriously was dropped when I asked who he spoke too."

Lily shrugged and Sirius nodded significantly, inclining his head skeptically towards her.

"It was you, wasn't it?" he urged a response from her.

Lily grinned without answering his question, "Who was Walston and who was Rider?"

"If I recall," Sirius said, tapping his chin like he was trying really hard to remember, "Walston was Snape"

"That's a decent fit." Lily meditated, "And he destroyed your team then? You and the boys?"

Sirius nodded before hankering, "And of course that leaves _you_ as the informer, Rider."

"Me?" Lily refused to look at Sirius because a perceptive grin had spread across her face, "Why am I included?"

Sirius gave her a knowing stare as he finished licking pudding off his fingers, "It seems that _someone_," Sirius lifted an eyebrow in her flushing direction, "put the idea into James' head when they suggested that Snape...what did James say?"

Lily was beaming at Sirius now, "Oh alright," she admitted, "I talked to James."

Lily couldn't hold back her pride that her hunch had been right. She almost wanted to toast Sirius she was so proud of herself. Sirius was shaking his head at her.

"What I want to know is how you even came up with all that 'got what he wanted' shite?" Sirius leaned his elbow against the table, surveying her, "Don't get me wrong-the outcomes were stellar considering James can look me in the face but the real question is why?"

"Why?" Lily leaned forward wrinkling her nose at him, "Why not?" she shrugged her shoulders.

Sirius leaned away from her in suspicion, "but why would you care?"

Lily stared at him. How could she explain to Sirius that after years of seeing him with those four boys it was breaking her heart to see him alone? She simply wanted to see him happy. Not to mention the other four…the way they sometimes looked at Sirius crushed her. Even still, for Lily to be so invested in the relationship of four boys—even she couldn't properly explain it. She simply decided she liked Sirius and that first impressions weren't always true or right.

Severus was an example of that.

Lily bit her lip and recognized a fleeting look of confusion cross Sirius' face as she stared at him. Lily supposed that the instance where she had confronted James Potter about his treatment of Sirius was ridiculous simply happened because she was so sick of seeing friendships burn and die because of things like—blood and wars. Lily grabbed strands of her hair and pulled lightly, feeling the tug at the top of her skull.

"I dunno." She pretended to be very interested in her pudding so Sirius couldn't see the look on her face, " I just figured you didn't deserve to get the silent treatment for the rest of your life because of whatever you did."

Sirius didn't take to her feigned interest and took her spoon from her. Lily pouted and tried to take it back but Sirius held it from her reach, staring at her with a look of confusion.

Do you know what I did?" he considered her.

Lily sat up straighter, thinking about to the rumors about Sirius daring Snape to go find whatever what under the willow. She licked her lips and swallowed.

"An idea."

Sirius shook his head, "And yet you still went to James and defended me."

"You were sorry." Lily was speaking more to herself, "And I knew you missed him—"

"Do you know James is the reason Snape isn't dead?" Sirius' comment made her glance up back into his grey eyes.

She nodded, "I heard that, yeah." She saw a flicker in his eyes and she took a deep breath, considering, "You learned from your mistake. James had no right to just keep ignoring you."

"He had every right."

Silence fell between them. Lily picked at her food, no longer hungry. Why did Sirius find it so hard to believe she was right in persuading James to talk to him? Lily knew Severus pent so much time following the boys. Lily knew Sirius felt bad about whatever he did, specifics aside. Sirius' bitter guilt was exactly what set him apart for Severus. Lily knew Severus would've never felt guilty if he'd hurt James or Sirius.

And James. Hearing Sirius confirm that James is the reason Severus was still alive just tugged at her heartstrings. Lily wondered about the events at the willow but figured it was not a topic Sirius would likely ever share with her in full.

"Thank you." Sirius whispered suddenly.

Lily turned her head to see he had his hands in his lap, head bent.

"You just decided to go up to James and emotionally manipulate him into actually considering talking to me?" He looked up at in disbelief, "Just out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Yeah." She murmured.

They stared intensely at each other, so much so that someone across the way asked them if they were all right. Lily nodded her head to appease fears and broke her gaze.

"Why go out of the way to help _me_?" he looked upset and was tugging on the edge of his shirt, "I mean from the moment you stopped to talk to me on that bloody pitch you've been treating me like a charity case."

Lily rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry for trying to be a decent mate." She replied calmly.

Sirius muttered something and Lily chose to ignore him, unsure why he ws so against her being a decent human being. After a few moments Sirius still hadn't spoken and she looked over to see he that was still staring at her with a peculiar expression.

"What?" she said in exasperation, dropping her fork and turning her body towards him, "honestly Sirius I sat over here to have a decent lunch and you've completely turned it into a bloody drama—"

"Do you fancy me or something?" he blurted out.

Lily inhaled abruptly and a bubble of laughter escaped her throat before she covered her mouth to try and contain her giggles. Sirius' whole posture relaxed like she had answered his prayers.

"Of course I don't fancy you." Lily rolled her eyes, "Honestly, is that what you were worrying over you moron?"

Sirius frowned, "I've just—"

"What?" Lily took a sip of pumpkin juice as she tried to control her laughter, "You just _what_?"

Sirius blinked, "No one outside of Remus, Peter, and James—not a single person in this damn school—has ever gone out of their way to help me without expecting something in return."

Lily considered him for a moment and realized he was being straightforward. She didn't know if she felt more sorry for him now than she had when she'd first ran into him on the quidditch pitch but it was close. She shook her head in disbelief at him, not knowing what to say.

Sirius must've saw the look of pity cross her face and he quickly tried to brush past his moment of sweetness with a joke, "Of course, I wouldn't blame you if you were head-over-heels for me Evans." He gestured between them, "I am the best looking one at this table."

Lily snorted and threw her napkin at him, "Git." But she was looking at him with admiration.

Lily grabbed her bag and stood up from the table as the bell rang for them to go to class. Sirius also got his things and Lily saw he was still cheery. It seemed that Lily confirming she'd had no ulterior motives for helping him had only improved his mood. Lily thought it was odd for a person so haughty on the outside could be so anxious of how people treated him on the inside. Lily hadn't realized exactly how bizarre Sirius Black was. Had he truly had that much bad luck with girls he assumed the only reason she was hanging out with him was that she fancied him? Lily shook her head and smiled to herself as they walked down the hallway.

"Trust me," she told Sirius conclusively, wrapping her arm in his elbow, "You'd know it if I fancied you. I turn into some awful nervous wreck and blush all over the place."

"I'd pay to see that." Sirius snickered, glancing down at her, "A nervous Lily Evans? Impossible."

"I had a massive crush on Gilbert Lyman in my third year." Lily revealed, "He said hello to me once I the hallway and I stumbled over my own robes."

"Smooth."

Lily nudged him a bit to show her discontent for his joshing tone, "The crush was quickly over when he called Amelia Groves a mudblood in front of me."

"Yeah well," Sirius sounded apologetic even though he had no reason to be, "His family is piece of work. He's like my sixth cousin and his parents are just as impractical as mine."

Sirius came from old blood and he definitely didn't fit in with his family. Lily remembered Regulus Black in the fight in the dungeon and sighed to herself. The things he'd said to Sirius as they dueled hadn't been thoughtful. _Blood traitor_ had been among some of the terms thrown at Sirius and the term made Lily's skin crawl just as much as the words aimed at her own upbringing did.

Lily rubbed Sirius' shoulder fondly, "The world needs more purebloods like you Sirius. Your brother just-" but she was unable to find the words.

Regulus attacking Sirius with wands and words had reminded Lily all too well of her own sister back home in the nonmagical world. The number of times Lily had to take being called a freak in one holiday was enough to make Lily never want to go home. Her sister, Petunia, scorned her for all the magic in her life. Lily's mother said it was because Petunia was jealous but at this point in her life, Lily assumed that there was more too Petunia's verbal attacks besides jealousy.

Sirius' relationship with his brother was just as complicated as her relationship with her sister.

"Your brother isn't as kind as you." She finished, squeezing his elbow and leaning her head into his shoulder.

"My parents would disagree with you." Sirius said with a vacant expression.

Potions class was due to start the moment they got to the wide doors leading into a room filled with boiling cauldrons. They entered the room and Lily let go of Sirius to point at a desk to their left with curiosity. Sirius glanced in the direction she pointed and then did a double take. James Potter was there but he had his head buried in his arms with his black hair sticking up in every which way. His fists were clenched and Lily thought that his back was rigid. She tore her eyes away from James to look back at Sirius who knew James far better than she did and could explain his crushed looks.

Sirius seemed puzzled. He took his seat that was in front of James' table, reaching back and shaking the wizard's lowered head with a slight push of his hand. James grumbled but didn't look up. Lily's friends entered the classroom behind her and Lori grabbed Lily's arm, obviously grouchy by the scrunched look on her face.

"Lily you told us you'd be right back and you sat with Black until—what's his problem?" she had spotted the still form of James Potter on the desk.

The entire scene was comical because he had his whole face smashed into the wood of the table, disregarding his Sirius' constant taps on his shoulders. Sirius leaned in and used his quill to try and tickle James' face. James quickly wiped at Sirius with one curled fist before hiding his face again.

Abby came on Lily's other side, "Is he okay?" she tucked her slick black hair behind her ear.

"Maybe he's sick?" Mary suggested as the girls continued to their own seats at the front of the classroom.

All the girls shrugged. Lori pointed out they ought to get to their seats. Mary (who had quickly changed the subject to her boyfriend who might be cheating on her with some daft Ravenclaw) was dragging Lily along. Lily kept glancing back at the boys as she made her way to her assigned bench. She suddenly wished she had sat closer to them at the start of the year but she had no idea back then how invested she would be in the life of Sirius Black—and in turn James Potter.

Lily sat down with a huff and put her bag on the table beside a bubbling cauldron. She was happy to see that the potion she and Abby had been brewing overnight had turned the proper shade of pink. Lily gave it a quick stir before glancing to the back of the room again.

It appeared Sirius had gotten James to raise his head a fraction of an inch and that they were having a conversation. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew entered the room and took their spots at James' table. They seemed unconcerned with James' behavior. Remus hit James' head with a book and received a glare from the obviously disgruntled quidditch captain. Peter was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, grinning at James. Sirius' expression slowly turned from worry to amusement as James said a few words, staring at his desk like it was the cause of his obvious agony.

It was clear that whatever was bothering him, James was being dramatic and his mates seemed unconcerned. Lily smiled when she saw Remus pass Sirius a look like he was exasperated with James. She faced the front of the classroom again.

"I wonder what's happened." Abby said with interest in her tone as they chopped up worms.

"Bob Shirkland's probably finally died." Lily laughed to herself and noticed her mates weren't laughing. Lily rolled her eyes, "Famous quidditch player? Cornwall Rockets? Ringing a bell? No?"

Lori narrowed her eyes at Lily and shook her head, "You know too much about quidditch."

"Most people know who Bob Skirkland is Lori," Lily argued, "You just don't know him because he's not hot."

"Then why would she be interested?" Mary teased from her table.

"Because he's rich?" Lily suggested offhandedly.

Everyone laughed and Lori stopped stirring her potion to glare daggers at her friends.

"You guys are the worst friends ever." She grumbled, blue eyes narrowed.

"We're just teasing Lori." Abby insisted, sharing a playful look with Lily.

"You know we love you." Lily agreed, winking at Lori.

As class continued, Lily glanced at the back of the room more than once. Lily saw that James had not moved from his slumped position on the table. Remus and Peter were working around James. One table from those three boys, Sirius was working on his own potion seemingly unconcerned with James. He was too busy talking to his partner from Hufflepuff with clear frustration. Lily noted the pretty girl was practically salivating in Sirius' direction and Lily smirked to herself.

Lily made eye contact with the handsome wizard as she passed by his table to gather ingredients from the storage closet. A flutter of a smile passed his face and he pointed to James, dead on the table.

"Depressed." Sirius mouthed at Lily.

"Why?" Lily mouthed back but Sirius was unable to talk to her because Abby grabbed Lily's attention to finish their potion.

By the time class was over and Lily had cleaned up her table both Sirius and James had disappeared from the room. Unhappy that she was now missing out on the fun, Lily made her way for her last class of the day. If James was in class, perhaps she could ask him what was wrong. Divination was horrible but every student who showed up was getting extra credit for going for tealeaves. Lori was ahead by at least 100 paces and Lily and Abby her struggling to keep up as they said goodbye to their other friends who were heading for Arithmacy.

"Lori!" Lily took her arm back by the time they reached the divination classroom, "_Why_ are you in such a hurry?"

"Because it's tea leaves." Lori stated like it was obvious, "and I want to get partnered with Robbie McCane so I can seduce him into thinking the tea leaves predict our long and happy life together."

"You're mad." Lily said.

Lori pushed her platinum hair back with her manicured fingers, "Mad about men." She pursed her lips, "speaking of men, how's Sirius?"

"Fine." Lily hummed ignoring the suggestion of romance in Lori's voice.

"_Damn_ fine." Lori approved, hitching her books up a bit so they wouldn't fall as they walked, "I can't believe your _just_ friends with him."

"Why?" Lily asked as they pushed past throngs of students, "Why can't I _just_ be friends with Sirius?"

"Ignore her." Abby told Lily as Lori looked at Lily as if the answer was obvious, "She simply can't understand the concept of being friends with a boy and _not_ shagging him."

"_I'd_ shag Sirius." Lori sang.

Lily exchanged a look with Abigail as they entered the hot classroom located on the ground floor of the castle. Tea leaves was an extra lesson as their divination Professor didn't believe that it was a necessity in fortune telling. Lily had almost skipped the class but with reviews from teachers for Head Students coming up Lily wanted to be on every Professor's good side. Abby lifted the cap to the pot on the table closest to the door and sniffed. Her tan face softened in content.

"Chamomile." She sighed with a grin at Lily, "wanna sit here?"

"I want mint tea." Lily answered, looking around the large classroom for more open tables. Two rows up, Anna Faith had heard Lily's declaration. Anna waved at Lily to get her attention and Lily glanced at the perky golden haired witch with curiosity.

"We've got mint!" Anna announced, pointing at the pot on her table.

After a mad switching of tables (and Lori planting herself practically on top of poor Robbie) all the students sat at their pick of teapots. Lily was happy for her new company. Anna Faith reminded Lily a bit of James with her wicked smirk and arrogant manner. Speculation around Hogwarts had it that Anna was going to be quidditch captain when James left. Anna certainly had Lily's vote.

Anna offered kindly, "Rough morning?" Anna eyed Lily's bruised wrists, "Or night?"

Abigail, who had sat beside Lily moaned, "You've no idea. I was up all night rewriting a thesis for Muggle Studies"

Anna turned her gaze upon Abby, "I'm Anna." Anna announced, pointing at herself.

Abby grinned, "Abby, I'm in Hufflepuff."

"I could tell by the yellow on your robes." Anna pointed to the obvious difference of color in Abby's robes.

"She's an honorary Gryffindor." Lily threw an arm around Abby who chuckled, "She bets on us when it comes to quidditch."

Anna raised her teacup in Abby's direction, "Good girl!"

The students listened to the teacher who began listing the ways tealeaves could be read. Lily, Anna, Abby and the fourth girl at their table (whose name had escaped Lily's knowledge) sipped on their tea. Lily finally got to the bottom of her cup and glanced in. The current leaves were looking rather like a horse head. Anna had her cup tilted sideways, lips pursed.

"It looks like a decapitated cow." She mused to the table.

"Mine looks like a horse?" Lily questioned, fingering the edges of her cup delicately.

"I think I drank the leaves." Their fourth companion said unhappily, looking distraught.

"Amanda! You weren't supposed to drink it all!" Anna took the girl's cup from her.

Lily and Anna laughed in pity, tipping their cups towards Amanda to share their own tealeaves. The fourth girl looked relieved and started examining her leaves. Now Lily's leaves were shaped in a weird malformed heart and Anna's looked rather like a sun.

"I'm going to have ultimate cosmic power according to this." Anna added after looking up her tea leaves in A Mystical Guide to Tea Reading.

"I'm going to love deeply and selfishly." Lily exhaled intensely, "There goes my plan of being single for the rest of my life."

"It obviously means the two hundred cats you'll adopt." Anna pretended to take pity and pouted with fluttering eyes.

Lily narrowed her eyes humorously at the witch, "Watch that cheek, Faith. I can give it right back on the field." Anna winked at Lily before turning back to her leaves.

Abby moaned, "I've got skull and crossbones." The girl looked pale, "death?"

"Oh breathe Abby," Lily took the Hufflepuff's teacup and started shaking it, "See? Now it looks like a flower."

"This is ridiculous." Anna agreed, assuring their tablemates, "There is a reason reading tea leaves isn't widely done in the wizarding world."

"I'll stick to reading my horoscope in the Daily Prophet every morning." Lily placed her cup down is boredom, "At least those are straightforward."

"I don't know," Anna mused, "Mine told me I was going to win a game of gobblestones against my foe but Kim McLaggen still kicked my arse last night."

The girls laughed and started cleaning up their tealeaves. The professor began writing their assignment on the board and was talking about the importance of finding other ways to predict fate besides tealeaves. Anna started speaking to Lily in undertone as they jotted down their essay requirements on the tealeaves.

"How's being commentator?" she questioned, "fun?"

"As long as it's not a boring game, yes." Lily responded, "Of course, I prefer games when Gryffindor is playing. I expect our next game is going to be great."

Anna disagreed firmly, "It's going to be a shite show."

"Why?" Lily asked, alarmed, as she had only just yesterday placed bets with Mary on a Gryffindor win.

"It's right after holidays and James still hasn't found a replacement chaser." Anna tilted her head at Lily, "Hadn't you heard? Lee Burgin's parents took him out of school."

"What?" Lily whistled is disbelief.

Besides James, Lee was Gryffindor's best chaser.

Anna looked off put, "Well," she regarded Lily softly, "He was halfblood."

Lily resisted the urge to get angry. Lee would be the fourth person to drop out of Hogwarts in the past year because of the threats to any wizard not directly related to a pureblood family. Lily herself was threatened almost everyday because of her heritage. The night with Sirius in the dungeon being a prime example of blood hate. It had been a chance that they'd attacked her, at least that what McGonagall said. Lily believed it was because she had been with Sirius. Regulus Black had looked at his brother like Sirius had grown two heads for being with Lily.

Lily pushed her hair behind her ear and bit her lip in contemplation. Sirius seemed unconcerned about what his family thought of him but Lily suddenly wondered if hanging out with her more was endangering him. Lily was one of many muggleborns being targeted by wizards and witches who believed all magic should be pure. Lily had other ideas about what made magic pure or not—not that any of the radicals would listen to her. Lily had read in the paper just the other day about muggleborn Ministry of Magic workers being scanned by the Ministry 'for their protection'. Lily had a feeling there was much more to the scanning than safety.

And now Hogwarts had lost another student—a fellow Gryffindor. Lily couldn't help the little bubble of resentment that rose in her chest over the entire ordeal. Lee wasn't even muggleborn, just a halfblood, and his family still saw fit to remove him from Hogwarts. Lily now assumed the reason James had been so out of it was because he was trying to come up with a plan for the quidditch game.

"Does James know what he's going to do?"

Anna shook her head and threw her quill down in irritation, "You know, for being Captain James certainly does like to avoid asking for help. It's absolutely frustrating. I've been offering to help him find someone but he's so bloody—"

"So what's James going to do? Doesn't he have someone on reserve?" Lily asked, pushing her parchment into her bag and picking up an extra packet of the mint tea of the table for later.

Anna took a deep breath and flicked a tealeaf off her robes, "Nope." She seemed almost as depressed as James at lunch, "Our reserve is on probation because of grades. We need a good chaser who is staying the holidays so James can train them on plays."

Lily pressed her lips together. The game was Gryffindor vs Slytherin. It had never been a very difficult game but Slytherin was on a winning streak and Lily was sure James was worried if he didn't have his top team that Slytherin could win.

As the girls put away their books and notes once the bell rang signaling the end of the school day Lily wondered to herself if there was anyone in Gryffindor who was good enough to play as chaser on James' team. James was a hard captain and everyone knew it. He pushed and pushed his team and Lily had even seen Anna cry after practice. The entire team looked up to James and whenever he criticized any of them they took it to heart. Not a single player on the Gryffindor team was soft of heart. A first year could never handle the pressure of being coached by James. He needed someone hardheaded and willing to stand up and fight.

Lily was so caught up in her thoughts she hardly noticed her friends talking about the holidays.

"What are your plans Lily?" Abby asked her twice, causing Lily to startle.

"Uh, oh, nothing. Just going home."

Lily hadn't even thought of break. She supposed she'd spend a peaceful few weeks home with her father and go to a couple quidditch games. Lily's holidays had never been incredibly impressive compared to her friends at Hogwarts. Lori was busy explaining about her trip to the Greek Isles with her family and everyone was listening with total jealousy.

Lily had other things on her mind, quidditch being first and foremost.

If Gryffindor lost the game to Slytherin they'd be second in the league. Lily couldn't live with seeing the smug look on half of the students of Slytherin house if Gryffindor did lose the match. Lily pondered that the Lee Burgin incident was to blame for James' obvious disinterest in Potions and she had noted he was missing from Divination as well. She was itching to talk to him and find out if he had a plan.

When the group of girls made their way into the Gryffindor common room Lily's eyes sought James. He was nowhere to be found but she was rewarded with the next best thing. Sirius was sitting by the fireplace, reading over something with a look of concentration. Lily walked away from her friends and jumped over a first year sleeping on the floor by the fire, eyes trained on the wizard in the armchair. Sirius was sitting unaccompanied by any sign of James; Peter Pettigrew wasn't too far from Sirius, also reading. Lily fell onto the arm of the chair Sirius sat on and took his manual from his grip, throwing it to the floor. Sirius turned his grey eyes up at her in slight surprise.

"Lily," he had his long hair pulled back in a ponytail. He reached around Lily's waist, finger's stretching to get his discarded manual.

Peter looked up from the floor, his little nose wrinkled, "Why do you smell like mint?"

"Did James find someone to play?" Lily blurted out, ignoring Peter's qualms with her scent.

A knowing smile flickered across Sirius' pale face, "Why?" he looked intrigued at her interest.

Lily took a deep breath and then sighed loudly, "It's quidditch!" She complained, leaning back and practically falling into his lap.

"Right." Sirius rolled his eyes, "I forgot you were as mad as James on the subject."

"We'll never escape Quidditch." Peter agreed with Sirius from the floor, eyeing lily with discontent, "_Never_."

"I did for a bit when James stopped talking to me and then I started talking to _her_." Sirius replied to Peter, ignoring Lily's tugging on his sleeve, "You and I are the only sane ones Pete."

"But it's quidditch!" Lily repeated, pushing Sirius' arm and he pushed back with a laugh.

"And I love it-when I'm not reading up on how to get a muggle motorbike to fly." Sirius snorted, sounding unconcerned, "Life doesn't revolve around quidditch."

"And James Potter is your best mate?" Lily asked in disbelief.

"His quidditch obsession is his biggest flaw." Sirius commentated dryly.

Lily pressed her hands against his side, "Come on Sirius, did James say _anything_ about a replacement?"

"She's just as bothersome as James when he's being nosy." Peter moaned from the floor.

"I—I am _not_ nosy!" Lily sputtered.

"You're right." Sirius replied with a flicker of humor in his eyes, "You're just bothersome."

"I just want to know if he has a plan." Lily brooded while crossing her arms defensively.

"He'll find a way without forfeiting." Peter muttered from the floor.

"What?" fear struck Lily's heart.

She hadn't even thought about a possible forfeit! Sirius took Lily's immediate arrest of attention to lean over the arm of their chair and grab the booklet she'd disposed of that Peter was holding up for him. Lily felt her shoulders dropping and she stared at the flickering flames in the fireplace.

"Take out Hufflepuff's chaser to even the odds?" Sirius mildly suggested, turning the page of his booklet, "grab a first year to play? make one of the other reservists a player?"

Lily certainly hoped Sirius was jesting, "his other reserve players are either beaters or keepers. He doesn't have enough chasers!"

Peter stared open mouthed at her, "She's like the girl version of him." He directed the comment at Sirius who nodded solemnly.

Lily stared indignantly at Peter. The girl version of who? _James_?

Sirius sighed, sitting on the edge of the armchair, "It'll be fine, Evans. I have faith in James. You should too. Can Peter and I finish reading up on motorbikes now please?"

When she didn't move Sirius sighed and looked at her again, "Look, if you're so concerned you ought to ask him yourself. He's in the library trying to not leave Hogwarts and drag Lee's arse back."

"I'm just—" and then she stopped when someone called to her from across the room.

Lily looked up from her conversation with Sirius and saw it was Shawn Jones, a fifth year Gryffindor who wanted to be prefect next year. Lily had worked with her over a week before on her letter of intent to Professor McGonagall. Lily smiled and waved to the young witch before turning back to Sirius. Shawn took Lily's wave as an invitation to come over to them and Lily was unable to continue her conversation with Sirius. Shawn's dark skin was flawless as per usual and Lily noticed the girl was wearing her scarf in her hair like a fashion accessory.

"Hey Lily." Shawn touched Lily's arm warmly before considering Sirius with her black eyes, "Black."

"Jones." Sirius responded indifferently, eyes still bent on his manual.

"That's fine, pay no notice to me." Spoke Peter from the floor, "I'm just invisible here."

"Hey Lily." Shawn spoke with a weird look at Peter who rolled his eyes and turned back to his book.

"Sorry Pete," Sirius muttered, "Shot down like a common house rat."

"That's a relief. Jones is way too butch for me anyways." Sirius barked out laughter and Lily kicked out at Peter with her foot.

"Rude!" Shawn stared furiously at Peter who looked unabashed at his words.

"What's rude," Sirius stood up causing Lily to fall back into the chair entirely, "Is the fact that Pete and I can't get our reading done because of two chatty women we didn't invite to sit with us. Come on Wormtail."

The boys stood up, glaring at Shawn and Lily, leaving their reading spot for somewhere more private. Lily ought to have felt bad but she was simply amused that they were reading up on motorbikes. She had weird friends. Shawn sat at Peter's abandoned spot on the floor and stared up at Lily.

"I wanted to thank you Lily. I gave McGonagall the letter of intent for school prefect like you suggested and she said I have a high chance!"

Lily smiled tenderly, "That's great Shawn!" she hoped she sounded as excited as Shawn looked but her tone fell flat and Shawn noticed.

"What's wrong?" Shawn asked, flicking her braids over her shoulder and placing a concerned hand on Lily's leg, "I'm sorry if you were talking to Black about something important—he seemed a bit irked—"

"Oh, he's fine." Lily waved the question away, "It's his mate James, actually..."

"Is he in trouble for sending that Slytherin to the Hospital Wing?"

Shawn's concern caught Lily off guard. She leaned forward in the armchair to consider Shawn's proposition.

"James?"

Shawn nodded fervently, "He evidently sent Coeur to the Hospital Wing from a pretty bad stinging hex in Herbology this morning."

Lily put a hand to her forehead and tried to decide if she was happy that James had sought revenge or mad that he'd probably just aggravated the Slytherin more. And what about quidditch? What if McGonagall suspended him from playing for his actions? Lily wondered if James cared about quidditch if he was willing to take the chance of being suspended. James was already down a chaser and-Lily stopped her reflection and stared at Shawn with an epiphany.

"What?" Shawn asked blankly, crossing her feet and scrunching in her narrow shoulders.

"_You_."

"Me?" Shawn squinted her eyes at Lily.

Lily knew Shawn well enough from this past summer. Lily and her girlfriends spent a lot of time at a local hangout for young witches and wizards. Soon street quidditch was introduced to Lily and a dingy shack in the countryside was where Lily had spent many a match watching quidditch played in a completely new way. Lily went often for quick games with Mary and Lori and she had seen Shawn out there playing the intense matches where some players had to be taken to the hospital. Shawn played chaser in most of those games and Lily knew the pretty witch was a superb flyer unafraid of anything—including mad captains like James Potter.

"What are you doing over break?" Lily asked.

"Er…" Shawn looked perplexed, "staying here?"

_Perfect._

"Wait here. Don't move." Lily ordered Shawn.

"Why?" Shawn shouted after her as Lily jumped over Shawn and the first year on the floor by the fireplace, "Lily? Evans!"

Lily ignored Shawn and raced out of the common room to go find the Gryffindor quidditch Captain. Lily was running down the flights of stairs and jumping steps in order to get to the library in record time. It was likely that James had already left the library seeing as it was almost time for dinner but she had to find him. Shawn was the chaser he needed on his team.

"Where's the fire Evans?" Anthony Hopkins shouted after her playfully as she ran past him, letting her feet carry her swiftly down the hallways.

Lily waved back at him, "Saving the quidditch match!" she laughed merrily.

"What?"

Anthony's confused reply echoed after her as she raced the last flight of stairs to the library. As she rounded the corner to the library she slowed down to a walk because her lungs were burning. She'd just run from one side of the castle to the other and she hardly enjoyed running as it was. A few Ravenclaws stared suspiciously at her as she entered the library panting like a common dog. Lily simply disregarded them as her eyes searched behind their bodies for a batch of messy black hair atop a grumpy bespectacled face.

All of the tables were full but mostly with fifth years getting ready for OWLs. Lily moved her way back towards the East Wing where a few students were mingling. The room was dim and Lily could tell betting over quidditch and gobblestone tournaments had ended for the day. The room had a large ceiling and tall windows were letting in enough fading light from outside. The limited light made it so that Lily could make out a lone figure leaning against one of the desks.

"Pouting doesn't really suit you." She spoke up, feeling her voice crack slightly as she tried to announce her presence to the quidditch captain.

James turned and Lily noted he had a piece of white paper in his hands. She recognized it at the betting pool sheet. He had been checking Gryffindor's standings. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose with his index finger. He seemed surprised to see her.

"Lily." His tone wasn't unwelcoming but it wasn't warm either, "What're you doing here?"

"I heard about Lee Burgin."

His lips turned down and he crossed his arms. Clearly he hadn't come up with a plan yet. Lily couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he learned of her golden find.

"Could we not talk about that?" he asked of Lee's departure, "In fact, no offense, but unless you know how to replace my best chaser—"

"Shawn Jones."

"What?" he turned his head back to her over his shoulder, hazel eyes blinking quickly.

Lily stepped forward a bit, "A fifth year Gryffindor named Shawn Jones is a chaser."

He shook his head solemnly, "I need a seasoned player Evans—Slytherin's defense is—"

"Great, I know." Lily waved his excuses off with one hand, "I've seen Shawn play, she's a street player but she'll play fair in this game, I swear."

James considered Lily. In the corner of the room Lily noticed the boxes with the bets piled high and stacked into the bookshelves. Lily let her eyes turn back to James who happened to be looking out the one window in the library that faced the great lake. He was biting his lip and she smiled when she noticed his hand reaching for his hair to ruffle it. That was a move so characteristically James. It was raining outside and Lily was reminded of their last interaction under the quidditch bleachers when she'd been soaked and he'd been stubborn—just like he was being now.

"I just can't just pick a player and hope it'll all work out. If I lose this match my entire possible professional career will be over!" he predicted.

"That's ridiculous." Lily rolled her eyes.

"It could happen!" James countered back.

She watched as he took to one of the desks and fell into it. Putting his head back into his hands. Lily couldn't help but giggle into her hand. Sirius might've told her she was dramatic over Quidditch but James was acting like he was dying. He loved Quidditch so much it was absurd. He made analogies of quidditch plays to his _life_ for Christ's sake. Lily just couldn't take him seriously. She stepped closer to him with a grin and an idea fresh on her mind on how tog et him to listen to her.

"In 1956 the Falmouth Falcon's lost three of their best players to dragon pox" Lily rattled off, waiting for his head to raise from his hands, "Instead of pulling from his existing pool of reserves, the Falmouth captain pulled three unprofessional flyers from a street quidditch league."

"They won that year." James turned his head a bit to look at her in wonder, "They call it—"

"A Harrison Switch." Lily put a hand on her hip and nodded in firm understanding, "I know."

"Did you just use a quidditch analogy?" James grumbled at Lily, not bothering to remove his head from his hands as he stared at her in astonishment.

"I mean, you use them all the time." Lily spoke lightheartedly, "What was that one about the Wailing Walston?" She was rewarded for her slip by James' ears going red in embarrassment, "I _love_ that one." She said with conviction.

James' head shot up out of his heads, "Sirius." He hissed of his traitorous best mate.

Lily cackled in confirmation of Sirius' obvious slip of the tale, "Come on, Potter," she held out a hand to him.

"If she's shite on the field so help me Evans, I _will_ kill you—" James took Lily's outstretched hand.

"You'll be thanking me the moment you see her in action, I promise."

They began walking back to the common room together and Lily was practically jumping out of her shoes, she was so giddy. Gryffindor definitely had a chance if James took a spirited player like Shawn. Lily was on top of her game, she had to admit. First she got Jmes and Sirius to start talking and now she was practically saving Gryffindor's chances at winning the quidditch cup.

McGonagall had better just pass her the golden Head Girl badge because at that particular moment, Lily felt that she was completely ready for the responsibility.

"Was she on the train?" James asked Lily suddenly.

"The train?" Lily questioned, too wrapped up in her excitment to try and decipher his words.

"The Hogwarts Express." James clarified, "We were all at the—"

"Sweets cart." Lily remembered and nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, that's Shawn. She's amazing! She's a quick learner too."

James had a fixed look of wonder on his face that was not going away, "You're full of surprises, you know that?"

"What do you mean?" Lily grinned, "Are you talking about how I pretty much just saved your bloody life?"

James listed off with his fingers, "Lets see. One: you know your quidditch. Two: you take on Slytherins who are like ten times bigger than you. Three: you convince me to consider a street pla—"

"Speaking of Slytherins." Lily interrupted, remembering what Shawn at told her about Coeur, "What's this I hear about you sending Coeur to the Hospital Wing?"

James looked suddenly sheepish, "Yeah well, he was asking for it." He touched her shoulder with great care, "How are you by the way?" he seemed genuinely concerned and his concern startled Lily a bit.

"Fine," she replied tenderly, "it's Sirius who took the most hits."

James grumbled angrily, "yeah, I noticed."

"Thank you," she told him truthfully, "For everything."

The climbed the stairs side by side.

"I should be thanking you."

"Why?" Lily tilted her head at him as they climbed the stairs, "Because I'm brilliant?"

"And cheeky," James looked awed at her again, "You didn't have to do any of this. Help Sirius. Help me." He added as an afterthought, "Or more like help Gryffindor."

"I couldn't let Gryffindor take a hit because Lee's parents were scared for him. I get it." Lily replied smoothly.

"Yeah, you do." He was staring at her with such a heartfelt expression that Lily stumbled a bit as she climbed the stairs.

James was eyeing her with a look she'd never really seen on his face before. Suddenly feeling awkward, she tucked her hair behind her ear and gestured for them to keep going.

"How'd you know I needed a chaser?" James asked her.

"Anna Faith told me." Lily replied, "In Divination." She smirked, "Which you skipped."

"Do you know Faith well?" James asked with interest, ignoring her obvious quip at his tardiness.

Lily nodded, "She's fantastic."

"You say that about everyone." James argued with a playful push of her shoulders.

"Do not." Lily defended herself, "There's loads of people I don't like!"

"You're still nice to people you don't like though." James grinned at her, his glasses were still lopsided, "For example, me."

"That's true." Lily agreed with a fake sigh, "I'm still working on being mean to you."

"You're a horrible liar."

"Hey!" but she was laughing.

He chuckled, "and on top of that you're quite the looker."

When she stared at him in shock at his bold words he just chortled, though she noticed his ears were tinged a bit red. She felt a smile turning the corners of her mouth as his compliments sank in.

"What a charmer." She managed to think of something to say to him that didn't sound completely stupid.

James smiled and looked ahead as they walked, "Just call me Prince Charming."

The walk back from the Library seemed so fast compared to the normally slow walk it was. She knew it was because of her companion. James seemed completely relaxed now. She found that she quite liked James; he was similar to Sirius in that he preferred to be laughing rather than serious. He was quite different from Sirius even still. Sirius had a pricklier exterior that was hard to break through—James was too easy. Lily felt like it had taken her two seconds to get him to stop moping and listen to her logical viewpoints on the Quidditch dilemma.

Anna had said James was stubborn and he was but it seemed as long as you made him laugh he was very open.

"So any plans for when you go home?" James asked offhandedly.

Lily sighed deeply as she remembered that Holidays were all anyone could talk about, "Well, my sister wants to go to the tree lighting ceremony in London according to the last letter I got from my mum."

"You have a sister?" James seemed interested in her life outside of Hogwarts, "Really?"

Lily considered that most people outside her roommates and Sirius didn't know about her sister, "We don't get along well. She doesn't approve of magic."

"Why?" James seemed confused, "Magic is awesome."

Lily couldn't help but laugh at his confused state, "Yeah, magic is awesome." She agreed, "Petunia's just been—scared of it. She doesn't quite approve of—what I am."

"I see why Sirius is so taken with you then." James sounded like he had an epiphany.

"His brother is a real piece of work." Lily rubbed her wrists, absentmindedly.

James hummed his agreement and Lily saw his eyes flicker down to her wrists as well. The bruises from Coeur's grip were light blue but still noticeable to the wary eye.

They reached the landing to Gryffindor tower and James turned, stopping her in her tracks. She stared up at him, suddenly very away of how nice he smiled. She swallowed and tried to maintain his eye contact. He had the most ridiculous and childish expression on his face that made her stomach flip, "You should make her not scared of it."

Her mouth was opened slightly in surprise, "What?"

James grinned, "Your sister. If anyone could make a person love magic it's you. Has she seen your charm work?"

He was giving her so many compliments tonight it was mind-boggling.

"No," she admitted, "I'm not even allowed to have my wand out at home." She didn't know why she was complaining about home life to James; it wasn't something she often talked about. Even Sirius hadn't gotten this much out of her.

"You can't have your wand out at home?" James was shaking his head in disbelief, "Why not?"

"My sister made it a rule." Lily explained playing with strands of her own hair uneasily, "My second year, after I accidently turned a few teacups into rats—or something like that—wait, why are you laughing?" she stepped back and stared at him due to the laughter that he was emitting.

It was so loud it was echoing off the walls around them. He had thrown his head back like she had just told the most wonderful joke. She dropped the hair she was playing with and surveyed him with both eyes squinted.

"I'm sorry!" he kept laughing, "but you turned a teacup into a _what_?"

"I can't remember now!" Lily replied as James wiped tears from his eyes, "But it scared the living daylights out of my sister and I was banned from the wand for the rest of my life."

James stopped laughing and shook his head, taking off his glasses to wipe them on his shirt. Once he put them back on he stared at her for a moment and then placed a hand on her shoulder. Lily smiled and shook her head at him, stepping out of his reach.

"I'm happy you are so amused by my childhood." She stated, "But can we focus on Quidditch here?"

"You're spectacular." He said as she told the password to get into Gryffindor Tower.

Lily ignored him and stepped inside the portrait hole. She was happy to see that Shawn was tucked back into the same chair Lily had left her by over forty minutes before. Spotting Lily with James following not far behind, Shawn sat up in surprise. Shawn's eyebrows were flirting with her hairline as she awaited an explanation for Lily's sudden departure. With a proud grin Lily gestured behind her to James who was letting his eyes scan every inch of Shawn, likely to make sure she was good enough to play for him.

"I told you.' Lily sang at James who turned his eyes away from Shawn to glower lightheartedly at her. She beamed at him.

"Lily tells me you're a good chaser?" James offered his hand out to Shawn whose eyes flickered between Lily and James.

"Yes?" Shawn reached out and grabbed James' out stretched hand.

They shook hands. Lily clasped her own hands together.

James' grin was as wide as Lily's; "I've got a spot that needs an immediate fill for my next game."

Shawn look confused.

"He needs a chaser to play the next game, Shawn." Lily bounced backwards on her heels impatiently, "_You_."

"You want me to play?" Shawn looked dazed.

James nodded, "Welcome to the team, Jones."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> _Playing Offense: an Excerpt_

"How'd you do it?" Anna marveled loudly, "How'd you get him to consider a street player?"

"I spoke to him." James heard Lily say in her scathing tone.

"He doesn't take anyone's help when it comes to Quidditch. He's too wrapped up in his own head." Anna sounded a bit offended, "I mean he listens to our advice but he never actually _listen_, listens. You know?"

James grinned as he took a swing of his butterbeer. He heard Lily's light sigh and he could imagine her fingers reaching for her red hair, like they always did when she was thoughtful.

"Well," Lily seemed to be finding the right words, "Maybe he was so upset over Lee leaving he was willing to lis—"

"More like he listened because he fancies the hell out of you." Anna specified bluntly.

James heard someone choking on butterbeer and he had all bets on Lily.


	7. Playing Offense

**December of Fall Term 1976**

**James Potter's Sixth Year Christmas Break**

It was almost midnight and James was certain he'd have to get back to Hogwarts soon. It was way past curfew and Dumbledore wasn't a fan of the students outside of the grounds in the first place. James had snuck out after dinner with his mates and wanted some alone time. So far Christmas vacation had been fine and he and the boys had managed to have so many snowball fights James was still thawing out. James leaned back in his booth, taking in the empty bar scene with slightly closed eyes.

He had an early morning practice with Shawn Jones and he'd forgotten when he told Sirius he was going to Hogsmede for a butterbeer. Sirius had waved him away as he poured over a muggle newspaper that Lily had apparently owled him. James knew Sirius was so focused on getting his motorbike there was much else the boy was willing to talk about. Remus was felling under the weather and he and Peter went to a party that James hadn't wanted to attend. James had been excited to get some time alone to plan new plays for quidditch but he was quite bored without people at his side to laugh with. James pushed his glass closer so he could swirl the contents indolently.

Quidditch was stressing him out, despite Lily's perfect find for chaser. Jones was exactly the type of person he needed on his team. Even though losing Lee Burgin had hit him hard, Lily had saved his life with bringing forward the impish Jones. Jones was a street player through and through. James had been pounding her into the ground for the past two weeks and still the girl showed up to each practice with a determined look on her face.

"One more butterbeer before you leave?" A red haired waitress walked up to his table and blocked the rest of the pub from view with her gracious smile and wide blue eyes.

James smirked and looked up from the glass that needed to be topped off with butterbeer. She was quite pretty and she was practically falling out of her dress as she leaned on the table towards him. She'd been checking him out since he'd sat down in the pub. She looked older than James but she was certainly attractive. James smirked and slowly moved the cup towards her outreached hand.

"That'd be wonderful." He leaned forward, so that their noses were almost touching.

"Anything for you, sugar." her eyes sparkled mischievously.

James ruffled his hair and winked at her, "Thank you."

The witch pushed her orange hair over her shoulder and breathed sensually, "I get off in an hour," she smirked, "Care to walk me home?"

"Would there be much walking?" he could her perfume. It almost reminded him of vanilla and it was infusing in senses, "I'm not the sporty bloke."

The waitress giggled and buried her fingers into the quidditch jersey he was wearing, tugging at it, "Not the sporty bloke, he says!" and she winked as she waltzed away, giving her hips a shake.

James shook his head with a little smirk and was mindful of the little spark in his stomach. He glanced back at the bar where the girl was fetching his drink. She was striking and it'd been a while since he'd been with a girl. James considered how long he could stay awake without being totally trashed for quidditch in the morning.

He was about to stand up and go to the witch filling up the tankard for him. He saw her adding things to the tankard, likely fire whisky. Sirius would be disappointed he hadn't joined James. James stretched his legs but stopped escaping his booth when he heard an unmistakable voice coming from directly behind him.

"God," he heard the distinct sound of someone slamming their hand on the table, "Anna we are never getting our drinks."

"That girl is _so_ lax." Another voice agreed.

James knew both of those voices, it was Lily and Anna. James was confused at Lily being at a pub with Anna in the middle of the night. As far as James was aware, Lily was spending holidays at home. Anna was at Hogwarts but perhaps they had met up. James knew Lily and Anna were friends—which wasn't surprising as Lily was probably friends with everyone.

The girls had sat at the booth behind him and he couldn't see either of them but being as there weren't many people in the pub he could hear their conversation almost like they were sitting at his booth. Lily's words were slurring together and she sounded exhausted. The bar maid brought James his mug and winked at him before turning to the table behind his booth.

"What can I get you girls?" The barmaid asked the girls.

"I'll take a butterbeer." Anna spoke up.

Anna was closest to James. Lily must have been sitting on the opposite side of the table.

"I'll have the same." Lily's voice established, "No more firewhisky for this girl."

The barmaid left them and they began their conversation again. James should've turned around and stood up so he could join their conversation but he didn't. His hangs curled around his mug of butterbeer, laced with firewhisky, and turned his ear so he could hear them better.

"That party was stupid." Anna exhaled like she was exasperated, "Remind me why we went?"

"Arnold invited us?" Lily answered rather crossly.

"He's such a dick." Anna seemed to agree with whatever Lily's tone was implying.

"Honestly I think the only thing good was snogging that one bloke." Lily said.

"What was his name?"

"No idea," Lily chortled, "He didn't speak much English."

The girls laughed out loud and he heard something that sounded quite like a high five. James made a mocking face before taking a swing of his butterbeer, which only heated him up more. The thick liquid stunk as it went down his throat. The barmaid had absolutely spiked it.

"I would've much preferred to understand what he was saying, instead of getting the handsy version of sign language," Lily's voice added next.

Anna snickered, "And I much enjoyed the outcome of his bluff."

"I don't suppose he appreciated my stinging hex though."

The girls laughed in unison and the red haired barmaid was back, placing their glasses on the table. James smiled at the girl as she passed by but he wasn't focusing on her anymore. Just on the conversation behind him.

"I don't want to go back to Hogwarts," Anna moaned, "James asked me to come help train Jones tomorrow and I'd rather sleep off the firewhisky's I sipped at that party."

James made a mental note to wreck havoc on his seeker in the morning, just for fun. He felt the booth chair rock towards him as Anna slammed her back up against it in protest, clearly, of her early morning.

"How _is_ Shawn doing?" James heard Lily ask.

"I only saw her once but I talked to James at dinner about it two nights ago and he said she was good, for a street player."

"I knew it." Lily sounded gleeful.

"How'd you do it?" Anna marveled loudly, "How'd you get him to consider a street player?"

"I spoke to him." James heard Lily say in her scathing tone.

"He doesn't take anyone's help when it comes to Quidditch. He's too wrapped up in his own head." Anna sounded a bit offended, "I mean he listens to our advice but he never actually _listen_, listens. You know?"

James grinned to himself as he took a grateful swing of his drink. Anna was clearly unhappy that he'd accepted Lily's help. Hell. Even he was surprised. Lily happened to be a very persuasive person though. He heard Lily's light sigh and he could imagine her fingers reaching for her dark red hair. She always did that when she was thoughtful.

"Well," Lily seemed to be finding the right words, "Maybe he was so upset over Lee leaving he was willing to lis—"

"More like he listened because he fancies the hell out of you." Anna specified bluntly.

James heard someone choking on butterbeer and he had all bets on Lily. Even James felt his neck grow warm. He didn't listen to he for that reason. Anna was laughing and then he heard Lily mumble something that he couldn't make out.

"At least James speaks English." Anna's replied deviously.

Lily clearly retaliated with a punch or kick because Anna hollered loudly. The girls were silent and James heard drinks being lifted and placed back on the table. Finally, Lily spoke again.

"He _is_ quite the charmer." Lily's voice was teasing Anna now, "How many times have you snogged him exactly?"

Anna countered sweetly, "Once or twice."

"Anna," Lily was laughing but clearly Lily believed every word that came out of Anna's mouth.

James smirked because Anna had been James' first kiss. The bubbly seeker was quite well known for her promiscuity at Hogwarts and had cornered James more than once in his fourth year. In fact, Anna had snogged Sirius just as often, if more. She'd snogged half the Hufflepuff quidditch team, girls included.

"I'm just saying if you are still looking for a decent snog—" Anna spoke seriously, "Look no farther than the Quidditch Captain you recently befriended."

"You are so ridiculous."

"But you don't deny that you wouldn't adore running fingers through that mess of black hair."

Lily didn't deny at all. In fact, he heard a giggle and James felt his stomach muscles squeeze at the thought of he and Lily _fucking_ Evans pressed up against a wall with her fingers strung into his hair. James swallowed the rest of his drink in one great swing, feeling really heated and sequestered in his hidden booth. He couldn't help smirking as he realized that she hadn't denied anything.

"Come on," Lily finally said, "You've got Quidditch and my dad will murder me if I'm any later."

"Your dad will murder you for going home this late and drunk. You can owl him from school. You're staying with me—"

The pair placed their money on the table without even noticing the boy sitting at the booth behind them. His fists were curled as he watched Lily leave. Her cheeks were red and she was clearly tipsy as she hung onto Anna's arms. Her legs, impossibly long under the black gown she wore, looked positively divine. He wondered why Hogwarts required girls like her to wear the frumpy uniforms all the time.

That's when the barmaid returned, leaning on the table again to show off her assets.

"How's that butterbeer?" she asked in a sickly sweet tone, putting her freckled hand on top of his.

"Brilliant." James told her delicately as he watched over the barmaids shoulder as Lily walked out into the cold with Anna.

"I'm better." And the barmaid, either bold or nonsensical, leaned forward and pressed her lips up against his brashly.

Already aroused by his imagination he leaned into the barmaid, closing his eyes and wrapping his fingers in her coarse hair. Her hand wrapped in his securely and she pulled him slightly, encouraging him to follow her as she pulled away from his lips. James got up chaotically and followed the woman to the back of the bar and past a sweeping kitchen man. From behind, the maid looked like Lily if he squinted a bit and ignored the fact that her hair was orange and Lily's was much darker.

Anna's words hung in his head of Lily running her fingers through his hair and James fancied the idea of snogging Lily in a broom closet. He mused far back in his head that he definitely couldn't deny it anymore, he fancied Lily Evans something terrible.

And she apparently didn't find him so revolting either.

The girl opened a door to a forgotten cupboard and smirked as she pulled him in before attacking him, literally. In the darkness he met every kiss while imagining instead, Lily. The girl was biting, sucking, and sighing heavily against his lips. James was acutely aware of her strong vanilla perfume as he snogged her back and he grabbed her face with his hands to guide their mouths to deeper and longer kissing. She tasted like the firewhisky she's spiked his drink with.

James left her lips and started sucking on her neck as she wrapped one leg around his own and pushed herself into his person. As if to get a better grip, the barmaid reached up and grabbed his hair. The hands in his hair and the rough rubs against his body starting at her hips were making his kisses turn sloppy and his mind to fog with lust.

"_Lily_."

The name slipped from his mouth and he noticed but the barmaid hadn't because she was too busied lavishing his neck with sloppy wet kisses. He tore away from the witch in the dark and even when she tried coming back in he stood there keeping her away at arms length. They were both breathing heavily. He was surprised at the word that had tumbled from his mouth.

And yet he really wasn't.

He left quickly, despite the barmaid's pleas to return to the cupboard. Once outside in the cold air he didn't feel as restrained. He did feel ashamed and the high the firewhisky had given him was suddenly disappearing in the night air. He had never—he hadn't even thought—but James did fancy Lily and it was painfully obvious.

He had been telling himself that he was neutral about the quidditch commentator that even when he wasn't fancying her…he was. Because of the late hour James was forced to change into his animagus, the stag, and race through the forbidden forest to get back to the castle.

By the time he was back to the front steps of the castle, James was soaked and miserable from the realization that snogging the barmaid was not the answer to his infatuation with Lily. James used three different secret pasges to make it back to the dorms without getting caught by the teachers on patrol.

Once James was back in his dorm Peter was the only one still awake. Peter noted the pale forlorn look on James' face and became worried, throwing his short legs off his bed to stand up and confront James.

"Did something happen?" Peter asked in a rushed tone.

"I snogged a barmaid."

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost then?" Peter questioned, dropping the newspaper he'd been reading.

"I called the girl, _Lily_."

There was silence. James dropped into his bed. Peter came over to James' four-poster and sat down on the edge of James' bed with a contemplating look on his face.

"Did she hex you?"

"Who?"  
>"The girl you were snogging."<p>

"No. She was a little too preoccupied to notice my slip."

Peter whistled and leaned back against James' bedframe as he thought about James' predicament.

"And why did you say Lily' name?"

"I may have overheard a drunk Lily Evans and Anna Faith conversation that included Lily not totally rejecting the idea of snogging me." James ripped off his quidditch jersey, as it still smelled like the maid at the bar.

"Lily? And Anna?" Peter seemed confused, "Wait, what?"

"They went to—"

"Arnolds party," Peter nodded, "Yeah, I saw them. But I knew Evans was going anyways. I read the letters she wrote Padfoot."

James looked at his mate in surprise, "She writes Sirius? About what?"

Peter shrugged and wrapped his arms around his middle, "Home. Lessons. Her Family. You."

James sat up from his pillow in surprise, "Don't play with me."

"I'm not." Peter grinned, "Look."

Peter hopped off James' bed and went over to the four-poster where Sirius was knocked out, snoring. Peter fished through the mess that was Sirius' bedside table and picked up parchment. James leaned over to turn on the lamp by his bed. Peter passed James two letters and sat beside him on the bed. James adjusted his glasses as he read Lily's letters to Sirius.

One dated from the start of vacation, and the other was just days ago. Peter pointed to the bottom of one letter. James spotted his name in her curly handwriting.

_I hope James' training has been going well with Shawn. I'm excited to see her play! Tell James I say hello._

James started at Peter incredulously, "Why didn't Sirius tell me she said hello?" James looked at the second letter, "And again?"

_Give the other boys my well wishes._

"Sirius mentioned it to Remus and I." Peter answered honestly, "He just didn't want you to take it the wrong way?"

"Wrong way?" James frowned, pushing his glasses up his nose heatedly.

"That she liked you, _liked_ you." Peter elaborated, "Sirius says that she's just being friendly and he thinks you'll be over friendly."

"I am not overl—"

Peter interrupted him with a doubtful look, "As demonstrated in your adventure tonight."

James flushed, "That was different."

Peter looked unconvinced; "you just ruined your chances for a free snog because you called the girl _Lily_." Peter grabbed the letters back from James, "I'd say Sirius had a decent point."

James sighed in irritation at Peter's defense of Sirius' reasons for not sharing the letters with him, "I _can_ just be friends with Lily." He crossed his legs, "but who is to say Lily doesn't fancy _me_?"

Peter sent him a pitying smile, "Go to bed, Prongs. You have quidditch practice in five hours."

Peter left James alone in his fourposter. James grumbled but turned off his lamp, put his glasses on his table, and closed his eyes.

The next morning Anna Faith looked like shit as she dragged herself onto the pitch swinging back what looked like a nasty green potion. James hadn't slept that night so he felt fine, if not a little tired.

"Out late Faith?" James teased his seeker, knowing full well the answer.

"Apparently I'm not social enough and got dragged to a Slug Club party," Anna muttered, "All the alcohol I drowned myself in is making me regret being social ever again."

James didn't know Arnold's party was for Slug Club members, "Old Slughorn was okay with underage drinking?"

"He didn't know the butterbeer was spiked and Arnold made sure Slughorn was gone for the actual party." Anna stretched, "Now lets get this bloody practice over with so I can sleep off my bloody headache."

"We have to wait for Jo—Lily?"

James nearly got whiplash when he looked down the field. Lily was coming up the field with a broomstick slung over her shoulder and Shawn Jones was at her side. The girls were chatting and the smile on Lily's face was full of delight despite the black rings so clearly under her eyes. The sight of Lily made him want to simultaneously jump with joy and vomit the contents of last night's drinking escapade. Anna patted his back almost sympathetically.

Lily waved once they got closer to Anna and James, "Hi James, mind if I join in?"

James was unable to speak. He just nodded his head gawkily and Anna grinned mirthlessly at his side.

"Whipped." Anna coughed into her armpit, James swatted in her direction.

"Hey Lily." He tried to act suave, "W-what are you doing here?"

"I was out late," Lily pushed back her hair into a ponytail as she got closer, "I decided to stay the night here instead of travel home, I wasn't very—erm—"

"She was completely trashed." Anna proposed, mounting her broom to start practice.

Lily blushed and glanced at James worriedly, "I _wasn't_ trashed—I just—"

"Drank seven firewhiskys?" Anna offered again.

"Seven?" Jones made a face of disbelief.

James felt the corners of his mouth tilt up as Lily's face went redder, "No," Lily sent Shawn an annoyed glare, "I—normally don't drink that much."

James shook his head as Lily tried to cover her embarrassment. She appeared to be very self-conscious about her time with Anna last night. James figured he could make her feel better if he mentioned his night. He decided to leave that plan for another time.

"No judgment Evans," James promised Lily.

Lily laughed awkwardly, "Ah, but its not proper Head Girl behavior."

James eyed her, wondering what else she did that wasn't 'proper Head Girl behavior'. Lily bit her lip and played with the handle of her short, secondhand cleansweep broom.

"Oh please," Shawn interjected, "You'll make Head Girl."

Lily saluted Shawn in thanks as they both mounted their brooms. James gripped the quaffle in his arms like he was a first year starting out, afraid of dropping it. Lily was tightening the gloves on her hands, preoccupied. James was certainly preoccupied on her. Anna coughed and James tore his eyes away from Lily to see Anna smirking at him.

"What's the plan Captain?" she asked innocently, despite the wicked smirk.

"Uh."

Lily spoke up, her feet lifted off the ground a few inches as her broom rose steadily in the air, "My, my, he's a man of few words this morning."

James glared at her because it was her bloody fault. If she weren't so charming, pretty, and vivacious he would be able to focus on the fact that this was his practice.

"Can we work on my slip drops while we have more than two players?" Shawn requested, bringing the conversation back to Quidditch.

James nodded and pushed his glasses farther up his nose, "Yeah, you need to work on those."

James passed the quaffle to Jones and the young player took to the clouds quickly, taking a lap around the pitch. James looked at his other two players. Anna was waiting patiently for James to explain his plan with a look of boredom on her face. Practices were old hat to Anna. Lily on the other hand had the look of first-practice glee as she awaited his requests. It reminded him of when she tried out for the team. She'd been so eager but her flying skills were subpar in comparison to the others.

He hoped she had improved since then because Anna and Jones were magnificent fliers.

"Alright," He pointed to Jones' midair aerials, "I need you both to side flank her. Get close. Make her angry. Try to knock the quaffle out from under her."

Lily tilted her head in concentration, "Why exactly does she need to work on these?"

Anna grinned as James became sheepish to answer, "She keeps knocking people off their brooms and it's no contact. She _has_ to relay on her beaters."

James nodded in agreement, "They don't exactly follow the rules where she's from."

Lily smiled boldly, "Well then," she said, "here's to hoping Jones is finally following the rules, yeah?"

James didn't think that Lily knew that Jones had bruised him after a particular bad defensive move last week. He decided to not tell her and let her live in her naïve world. Lily flew off, her beck bent too forward, but her form had improved. James licked his lips and shook his head. Anna smirked and rubbed his shoulder lovingly. She was smirking knowingly at him.

"She was going to leave but I convinced her to stay." Anna mused, getting ready to take off after Lily.

"I love you, Faith."

Anna laughed and James let a little smirk break his features as Anna took off after the other girls.

It was the best practice he'd had in a while. Lily was positively adorable the entire time and James silently agreed with his decision in third year to not put her on the team. Although she flew well and was steady on her broom, Lily would be flying off by the first bludger sent her way. Even though it was noticeable she had to try and keep up with Anna and Shawn, Lily was joking along with them and James admired that she had a smile on her face the entire time.

At one point Lily dropped the ground next to him while they were watching Anna teach Shawn how to properly handstand on a broom without falling off. Her green eyes were crystal clear and her smile was so wide with glee James couldn't help but chuckle at her.

"You know what I love?" she asked eagerly as they watched Shawn attempt a handstand.

"What?" he never let his eyes leave her shining face.

"Flying." She said joyously, "Being weightless."

James was unable for form words as she glanced back at him ecstatically. She blushed a bit at his stare and looked back up at the girls, cheering when Shawn finally grasped the handstand. Staring at Lily in the pitch made James feel like he was flying. He felt that familiar head rush when he did a particularly hard dive. He felt those butterflies before the big game. He felt all the emotions he got when he played quidditch except he was feeling them towards her.

"Are you having a good vacation?" he asked her.

Lily nodded, her eyes still on the sky, "The past two days have been great. Home, however, has been a tad bit more stressful than I would like."

James smirked, "Is that why you went out with Anna?"

Lily sighed and tore her eyes away from the girls in the sky to him, "I told you about my sister right?" James nodded. "Well you see, she got this awful boyfriend while I was away and they do nothing but compare my life to theirs and it's so annoying but my father loves the guy and I complained once—_once_—when Petunia mentioned her boyfriend would be stopping by and suddenly I'm the worst thing in the house."

"Why is her boyfriend so awful?" James asked, leaning on his broomstick.

Lily sighed even deeper, "Well first off, he's positively boring. I suggested we go for a walk one night and he made us sit there and talk about stocks for forty-five minutes! Stocks!" she was getting angry and her face was flamed. James was eating it up, "He's rude too. He asked me if the milkman dropped me off on the doorstep because I'm the only redhead in my family! And my sister just laughed! Oh she got such a good kick out of that joke and she already made going home awful with her perfectly proper friends and perfectly proper job-" she seemed to realize she'd been ranting because she stopped and kicked at the ground.

"It's okay." He laughed at her apologetic look, "I understand."

"Why didn't you go home?" she questioned pryingly, scrunching her nose in perplexity, "I mean, the way people talk you've got dragons and servants and—"

James burst into laughter, "What?!" he had to drop his broom, she had him in stiches.

She was blushing up to her roots now, "Well, I mean, I only _heard_…"

"Pet. Dragons?!"

"I mean—I just—" she started to get angry as James struggled to breathe, "Well you don't have to laugh!" but then she started giggling and soon they were laughing like a couple of loonies.

"I'm sorry," James managed to say between laughter, "I just—where would you get that idea? I grew up in a small cottage on the shore!"

"No dragons?"

"No dragons." He affirmed, grinning at her widely and never wanting to see her smile disappear.

"Hm," she tapped her chin playfully, "I'm a bit disappointed."

"Now I kinda am too." James yearned, "I never knew how much I wanted a pet dragon until I realized I never had one."

She laughed and shoved him so he had to side step in order to not trip.

"I—" but she never got to finish what she had to saw because Shawn and Anna landed, shouting jovially how it was time for lunch.

Lily seemed startled and she pulled up the sleeve of her shirt to check her watch.

"I had no idea it was that late!" she complained, "I've missed the noon Knight Bus already!"

"There's another at five." Anna told her as she passed James the quaffle they'd been using. James put the quaffle into the box that held all the other magical quidditch supplies, locking the chest up before bringing it to the shed at the side of the field near where he'd been standing. Anna was consoling Lily that her father probably hadn't even noticed her absence. That seemed too distraught her even more.

"We can see if Dumbeldore will let you floo home?" James suggested as he met back up with the girls.

Anna slung her broomstick over her shoulder and eyed James significantly; "Lily can come with me to the Library and help me do that stupid book report for Stevenston."

"Sounds riveting." Lily pouted as the group began walking up to the castle, "But I've been home late for the past three days. He's going to be so mad."

"Book report?" Shawn quizzed.

"The Witch of Shaklebi Street." Anna sighed melodramatically, "apparently a literature masterpiece of the wizardkind."

"More like the bore of wizardkind." James put forward his two-sickles, "My grandmum read that book religiously until she died."

"That might be _how_ she died." Anna said pretentiously, "It's been a torture to read. Every other word is _thou_ and every other sentence describes witches as being incapable of running the government."

"I'm damn well capable of running a better government than the one we currently have." Lily muttered unapologetically from beside James.

"Tell me about it," Anna raised her hands like she was praising the gods, "Give us one day in that office and we'd level the place."

"I'd say we'd do more than the Aurors," Lily muttered, "Nine muggle families have disappeared in my hometown alone. It's just awful."

James and Anna nodded immediately in understanding, knowing that the disappearances were becoming all too sudden. Shawn however, seemed uncomfortable at the sudden change of topic. James noticed the witch sped up so she walked just a little ahead of their group and had her shoulders hunched. Anna and Lily were talking about the recent political scam with muggleborn rights, something Shawn had to be very uncomfortable with. James was well aware her mother worked in the Ministry and was a member of the more radical side of the Ministry.

All political talk was abandoned when they entered the Great Hall. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all settled in seats close to the doorway. Peter spotted James first and waved cheerily causing Remus and Sirius to look up. Sirius spotted Lily and whooped, jumping up and enveloping Lily in a hug. Lily laughed as Sirius ruffled her hair like she was a kid and he was a proud parent.

"Heard you snogged a Frenchman last night, Evans you dog!" Sirius' tone was so encouraging on Lily's behavior at the infamous party James rolled his eyes as he sat down beside Remus.

"Isn't Sirius the dog?" James wondered out loud as he pulled lunch towards him. Peter and Remus appreciated the joke. Sirius was too busy poking and prodding Lily to get the joke surrounding his animagus, the dog.

Lily looked embarrassed and James noticed her green eyes flickered in his direction for a moment, "Sirius." She warned, scratching her ear awkwardly and falling into a seat.

Sirius dropped right next to her and slung an arm around her shoulders. James narrowed his eyes at Sirius and beside Sirius; Peter raised a perceptive eyebrow at James.

"No, Evans. Take pride." Sirius winked at her as she tried to push him away despite her smile, "I hear he was quite the looker." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Shove off you." Lily laughed, pushing his face away from hers, "how'd you hear about that anyways?"

"Peter."

"Peter?" Lily spun on the round boy who was glaring at Sirius in accusation.

Sirius gave Peter a little salute before turning back to his meal. Peter looked like he wanted to kill Sirius before he looked around at the red hair witch.

"I was invited to the party too you know." Peter replied, "I saw you."

Anna snorted into her tea, "That's slightly mortifying considering how tightly wound up she was."

"Can we please change the subject?" James begged, grabbing a sandwich

"Yes." Lily agreed furiously, now blushing so much she had to be radiating, "_Please_?"

The table around James grumbled with submission to their pleas and James and Lily exchanged an eye roll. She smiled at him next, and he was able to realize that at some point, the pair of them had become friends. He liked that, and despite what Peter and Sirius believed…he could be _just_ friends with her.

She turned away to ask Sirius something about a motorbike—probably the one he was intending to buy—and James turned to Remus. The young werewolf was chatting with Anna over the quidditch practice. Anna was telling Remus about Lily's attempt at playing.

"She wasn't too bad." Anna told him as she bit into her pumpkin pastry.

"What do you think James?" Remus asked, an almost intentional brow raise being suggestive to more.

"Oh," Anna's blue eyes sparkled mischievously, "He couldn't keep his eyes off her."

James sent Anna a warning look. Beside him, Shawn was glancing around the table, like she was calculating something. James made a motion for Anna to cut out the teasing. Anna simply smirked haughtily. She didn't give a damn about James' warning looks or glares.

"Shut up." He muttered, stabbing his fork into his pasta.

"James." Shawn spoke up, her brown eyes flashing, "You—" but she didn't finish whatever she was going to snap at him, she seemed to get the better of herself.

Shawn observed him for the rest of lunch. She watched him as they said goodbye to Lily when she went to go try and catch the Knight Bus. She watched him over dinner. Finally, she confronted him at the foot of the boy's staircase before bed. She had her black hair wound up in a braided bun and she seemed to be cross about something.

"What?" he grinned down at the peeved chaser, "I'd imagine you'd be smiling as there's no practice tomorrow."

"Lily." She had her arms wrapped around her waist, her eyes to the ground.

"Er, yeah?" James struggled to grasp what Shawn's sudden problem was.

"I saw you today." Shawn warned as Sirius walked up to the pair, confusion in his grey eyes, "Anna's comment made me realize something..."

"What's going on?" Sirius had a hand on his hip, pages from a muggle newspaper in his other hand.

"James fancies Lily." Shawn said, looking flustered.

James sputtered, "We're friends—"

Sirius sighed deeply and pushed James back slightly as if to allow him room to speak, "Jones, as Lily's best friend and confidant." Shawn and James eyed him skeptically, "I think I'd know if Lily fancied James."

"I didn't _say_ Lily fancied James." Shawn replied bluntly, "I said _James fancies Lily_."

"You make it sound like that's a big deal." Sirius grinned at the girl, "Lily liking James is a big deal. Unfortunately, he's been a git and has liked her since third year."

"Have not!" James argued to deaf ears.

Sirius rolled his eyes and clapped James on the back, "Yeah, whatever you say."

Shawn huffed, "Well, all I'm saying is you fancy her." Her eyes flashed, "And that's not good!"

"It's not?" Both boys said simultaneously, interest perked.

Shawn looked distraught, "Of course not! Have you been living under a rock? Do you know what happens to purebloods who fraternize with people like Lily?"

The air between the boys and Shawn Jones suddenly got very, very, heavy. James crossed his arms. Sirius stood up straight and gained about two inches as she stared down the girl in front of them.

"I don't quite like the tone she's suggesting Prongs." Sirius leaned on James' shoulder like James was a desk.

"What are you suggesting?" James demanded of the chaser standing crossly in front of them.

"I think she's suggesting that she a daft purist like the rest of her family." Sirius snarled, his dislike for the purist elite snapping every single word.

"I'm not _suggesting_ anything." Shawn glared at Sirius who was viewing Shawn with every intent of dislike, "I _like_ Lily. I think she's nice. I just know not to be too close with her."

"What's too close?" Sirius mused sarcastically, "Treating her like she's a human being?"

Shawn looked furious at Sirius' sass, "I'm simply reminding you—the both of you—that a war is coming and you had better be wary if you want to make it to the end."

"Aren't you friends with Lily?" James asked confused.

"I'm hardly know her past school." Shawn's eyes flashed, "And quite frankly, the way you both act around her is putting not only yourselves at risk, but her as well."

James scoffed, "how do we act around her?"

Shawn raised an eyebrow, "Like she matters to you."

"Have you ever properly met her?" Sirius growled, "Of course she matters."

"I told you I like her but she's not worth getting yourselves into trouble over." Shawn argued, "Your blood shouldn't be tainted by the likes of hers. My mother warned me of that, didn't yours?"

James had to grab Sirius' arm as he saw his hand was flexing to reach for his wand. James sent Sirius a warning glance. Despite the sudden _negative_ conversation, Jones was still his best hope at winning the match.

"Our family isn't like that." James replied curtly, "The Potter's might be old blood but we respect any person for kindness and compassion—not their family tree."

"I respect Lily too," Shawn stood up taller under James' harsh gaze, "but I respect my elders more."

"Don't be such a coward." Sirius snapped, "My family's been threatening to kill me for years." He stepped back, arms open wide to make a point, "I'm still kickin'!"

"Don't be so conceited to think you're invincible with bravery and wit." Shawn snapped back, "The Longbottoms had their place burned down two weeks ago and almost died for fraternizing with muggleborns. Thank about that."

James and Sirius just stared at her in skepticism. James knew that Shawn Jones came from a very strong family but he had no idea that underneath her rough exterior, was even more jaggedness.

"Anyways, just be careful around her." Shawn muttered unconventionally before turning on her heel, "See you boys later."

Sirius snarled as she left, "And your telling me Lily, picked her to be on the team?" Sirius looked ready to punch something, "And I'm pretty sure she even asked for Lily's help getting prefect—what a two-faced bitch!"

"Not all purebloods seem to be as exactly pro-muggleborn as us mate." James muttered, feeling slightly sick because even though he was angry—Shawn had a point. It was only too recently that Sirius and Lily had been attacked in the dungeons.

Sirius flicked his middle finger in the air where Shawn had disappeared and mocking repeated what she had said, "_I respect my elders_…what bullshit…and she calls herself Lily's friend?"

"Lily has lots of friends." James reminded Sirius, "She would invite a Dark Wizard over for tea if she thought it would do a bloke any good."

"I'd pay to see her at tea with this Voldemort bloke." Sirius muttered as they walked side-by-side up the stairs, "What d'you reckon would be the outcome?"

James thought of Lily's doe-eyes and impeccable smile. "Oh, he'd give in and renounce his ways for sure. Lily can change anyone for the better. Look at how much she's changed you." James goaded, poking Sirius in the side; "I'd say you've gotten less irritable since she came around."

"She does brighten up a room, doesn't she?" he commented in a false monotone.

James slung an arm around Sirius' shoulders and put him into a choke hold, "Oh definitely. Have you seen that smile?"

"Have you seen her with a wand?" Sirius mused as he pushed against James' side, "The girl terrifies me."

"I think she's the only girl you've ever actually _liked_ at this school."

"I like plenty of girls. Especially snogging them." Sirius struggled against James' grasp, "You know what I _love_ to do while snogging them?"

James stoped wrestling to consider Sirius question, "Not quite sure?"

James let go of Sirius and Sirius adjusted to look James dead in the eye. James saw the wicked twinkle in Sirius' eyes and somehow knew Sirius would regret whatever was going to come next from his giant mouth.

"Definitely love saying the name of the girl I fancy that I'm _not_ currently snogging in the heat of the mo—_OUCH! James_!"

James had stepped on Sirius' foot for the brash reference too James' slip up with the barmaid. Sirius hopped up the stairs away from James calling treachery. James howled with laughter before racing up the stairs after Sirius, calling for a truce, before tackling Sirius and ruffling up the boy's perfect hair with his hand.

In retaliation Sirius turned James' own hair Christmas colors that didn't come out until after Christmas day.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> _Playing Defense: An Excerpt_

"You won!" Lily whispered, nudging James' foot, "Gryffindor is going to finals!"

"Is it any surprise?" James whispered back and Lily felt him nudge her foot back, "I am the best captain this school has ever seen."

She laughed softly and rolled her eyes, "You're _so_ conceited."

"You love me anyways." He teased, eyes remaining on his parchment.

"No I don't." She murmured, almost defensively.

Lily's heart tightened so much at him saying those words so carelessly that she imagined a heart attack coming, and coming quickly. She gripped her quill like it was the only thing holding her to the real world. He had her right in the palm of his hand.

James either disregarded her wary tone or didn't notice it, "yeah, you do." He nudged her foot again.

**A/N: So is anyone actually reading this story because I literally don't ever get reviews and I'm not gonna lie it depresses me hardcore.**


	8. Playing Defense

**Chapter 8: Playing Defense**

**Lily's Sixth Year, January**

Hogwarts was back in session after the Christmas holidays. Snow covered the grounds like frosting on a cupcake but it was the icy snow that just made everyone miserable in general. Lily felt like everything had become so much more stressful which was something she had not anticipated at all. In fact, the only part of her vacation she had enjoyed was her momentary stay at the castle when she'd gotten to play a bit of quidditch. As far as Lily was concerned, she was happy to not have to deal with her sister Petunia and Petunia's insufferable boyfriend Vernon.

Lily tugged at her hair absentmindedly as she sat through her charms class, analyzing the different colors it would turn with each flick of her wrist. Somewhere at the front of the classroom Professor Flitwick was going on and on about cheering charms and Lily reckoned she could sue at least ten of them.

She glanced over at Sirius on her left. He had his nose buried in a book that looked to be a comic instead of _Charms: An Extensive Guide for the Sixth Year._ Sirius was clearly was paying no attention to the lecture either. On the other side of Sirius, James was doodling a game with Remus and Peter. It looked to be quite intense as James was holding his wand to Peter's neck as Peter wrote something down.

Lily forced her head to the right, all the way across the classroom to where she had sat before the Holidays. Lori pointedly didn't meet her gaze and Lily didn't even remember when Lori had ever mentioned being friends with Arma Greengrass, the girl who had taken Lily's seat. Greengrass was a nasty girl who spent more time bragging about her father having money than she did studying fro school. Lily was hurt that Lori had let Greengrass sit in Lily's seat.

The weird friendships had started after the return from Holidays and Lily really ought to have seen some of it coming. With some of her friends, like Anna Faith, there was no change in the way Lily was treated. With other people she had once counted as her close friends…Lily was suddenly very far under their radar.

It seemed that all the disappearances and murders that were happening outside the castle walls were finally getting to the students. No matter how often they were told not to worry by the staff Lily could see fear in the eyes of every single person who walked the halls. Even still, Lily was tired of people she once counted as friends leaving her high and dry.

Lily had first noticed it at the party she and Anna went to over the Holidays. A bunch of students had been invited to that but surprisingly Lily was one of the only muggleborns invited despite there being other muggleborns in the slug club. Lily's presence hadn't gone unnoticed and Arnold, the party host, asked her to leave in order to save the party from a scene. Of course, Lily had ignored his request and _that_ hadn't gone unnoticed either.

Lily tried very hard to not care what people thought, but at the end of the day she was hurt by the sudden detachment from people. It felt like all the people she hadonce counted as her friends were showing their true colors. The first day back at Hogwarts had felt like a reckoning with some people still smiling and waving her way while others ignored her completely.

Lily tried her hardest to be kind to everyone and had always believed that karma meant she would never be treated any less than she treated others. The past week had been proof that once fear entered the equation—not even kindness was viewed as an important quality.

When she'd mentioned the sudden change in her so-called friends to Sirius he just shrugged his shoulders. He told her to pay no attention to it because Lily didn't need people like that in her life. It was easy for him to say of course, Sirius had James back at his side for better and for worse.

Lily didn't have a James.

Sighing slightly Lily leaned her head against Sirius shoulder, staring at his comic with attentive eyes. The people in the comic were witches and wizards and they moved identical to the lifelike portraits all around the castle. The protagonist of the story appeared to be trying to save the world from an evil wizard. Sirius turned his head so that his head was leaning slightly against hers. In front of the pair, their quills were magically copying the words Professor Flitwick was practically shouting to the large class.

Not a single 7th year in the room was paying Flitwick the courtesy of their attention. Lily caught sight of Slytherins in the far left corner of the classroom whispering over parchment. She even spotted Severus among them, dark hair swinging like a curtain in front of his face. Five Hufflepuffs in the middle of the classroom were sharing snacks and writing notes back and forth. Two Ravenclaws at the front of the room looked like they were taking notes but they were actually writing in crosswords. Professor Flitwick seemed to gauge that his students were lost in the post-holidays blues.

The squat charms master finally sighed in defeat.

"Are any of you awake?" he squeaked, stepping off his pedestal to survey the classroom.

A few students looked up, Sirius turned the page of his comic. Lily pushed herself off Sirius' shoulder to watch Flitwick, the hope of being released early in the front of her mind.

Flitwick put his wand into his pocket and waved his hands at them; "I know a lost cause when I see one." He declared, "In celebration of the Quidditch match this weekend, you all can have an early dismissal today. Good luck to both the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams!"

It took about five seconds for the classroom to clear out. Lily and the boys were some of the last students packing up their things. Lily was gathering her quill and the pages of notes on cheering charms, listening to the boys discuss their afternoon.

"Want to go racing, Padfoot?" James asked Sirius, using the odd nickname Sirius had.

"I'll time it." Peter offered.

"I'll watch." Remus countered with a half laugh, he looked exhausted.

Lily couldn't remember the last time she ran for fun, especially with it being below freezing outside. The snow itself was slippery and icy; if one of them fell it would have to hurt. Lily stared at the boys dubiously. They were, all four of them, completely mad. Deciding that she ought to finish her charms essay since she'd be busy at the match over the weekend, Lily was prepared to say goodbye to the boys.

She pushed her chair in and stepped out of the row of desks, slinging her bag over her shoulder as the boys started filing out behind her. Remus and peter went ahead, making bets on the race that was apparently going to happen. Sirius stood by Lily as they both waited for James to get his bag.

"Miss Evans, Mr. Potter wait a moment if you please!" Flitwick's small voice stopped Lily from proceeding out of the classroom.

Flitwick was walking over to the table Lily was stationed at, teetering back and forth on his small legs. Lily shrugged her shoulders at Sirius when he gave her a quizzical look. Remus oddly, didn't seem surprised at all and waved at them from the classroom door.

"Come on Padfoot!" Remus called for Sirius who turned obediently, but not before glancing back at James and Lily.

Lily pushed her hair over one shoulder as James came to her side and analyzed their charms Professor.

"What did we do?"

"Nothing, Mr. Potter." Flitwick looked entertained by James' comment.

Lily grinned at James, who was clearly worried that they were in trouble. Professor Flitwick straightened his wire-rimmed glasses and motioned for James and Lily to sit. Lily sat down in the chair closest to her. James followed her lead and once he'd picked the chair next to Lily, let his bag slide of his shoulder. James leaned forward in interest, arms resting on his knees.

Lily tore her gaze away from James, "Is everything okay?"

"Quite, quite!" Flitwick rubbed his beard, "I have some news!" At both blank looks he continued, "I received your application for Head Girl Lily, the school has moved forward your application and your application is being sent to the governors for final vote."

"Oh," surprise was evident in Lily's tone, "Awesome." But she was more concerned with why James was there.

_Was he not going to be quidditch captain next year?_

Flitwick turned to James, "Mr. Potter you were nominated to represent Gryffindor so we will need an application from you if you wish to continue with the process."

"I don't understand." James seemed alarmed, "Remus Lupin is going to be Head Boy."

Flitwick gave an expression of understanding to James' bewilderment, "Well you see, Mr. Lupin was not nominated and he didn't put an application in."

Lily thought James didn't look exactly pleased that Remus was not in the running for Head Boy. Lily was quite surprised as well because as far as she understood besides his attendance, Remus was a respectable perfect. It didn't, however, mean that James was a bad pick to represent Gryffindor in the drawings for Head Boy.

"He told Professor McGonagall he was afraid to commit to anything long term with his health." Lily noticed Flitwick's eyes glance at the backdoor where Remus had just left.

"Is Remus alright?" Lily asked.

"Oh, he's fine now." James assured Lily, aggressively, "But just wait because I'm gonna kill him."

James' jaw was clenched, the muscles in it spazzing as he jumped up to likely go talk some sense into Remus. Lily furrowed her brow as Professor Flitwick placed an application in James' unwelcome hands. She had assumed Remus would want the Head Boy position. Remus did have a very particular way of doing the schedule and Lily wondered if Remus didn't apply for Head Boy because he'd have to take more rounds and couldn't take any more stress. James looked furious though and his fingers were going to break the parchment if he clenched it any tighter.

"Mr. Potter," Professor Flitwick beseeched, "Please, Mr. Lupin was adamant to point out that you are quite a candidate for Head Boy and Professor McGonagall agreed." Flitwick appeared to be grasping at straws.

"But Remus deserves this." James tried to shove the paper back at Flitwick, "I can talk to him. He will take this."

Flitwick shook his head, "There's nothing you can do." He explained, "Remus already denied the position and Professor Dumbledore himself believes you are above qualified with you being quidditch captain and the recent steps you have taken in supporting the students."

"How is this possible?" James pulled on his black hair foolishly.

James looked unconvinced but Lily saw his eyes peep down at the parchment he held. Lily saw a flicker of wonder in his eyes. Lily realized that James was uneasy. It was a new characteristic for him; she had always seen him so sure of himself.

Flitwick was right; James was the perfect candidate for Head Boy. James was a natural born leader thanks to quidditch and he practically radiated fairness when it came to student affairs. Lily was certain that the fight in the dungeons that had happened before break could have gone much worse if James hadn't shown up and taken charge. He was like the bloody poster boy for Head Boy—and he didn't want it. It had only been right of McGonagall to assume James would want the role.

Of course, Professor McGonagall probably hadn't counted on James' apparent need to shove Remus' endeavors ahead of his own. The entire scene baffled Lily, as she had never seen James try to turn down a chance at glory for someone else in the passionate way he was now. James' eyes turned to Lily for the first time, gawking at her.

"You both will have to excuse me. I must get ready for my meeting tonight with Professor Dumbledore." Flitwick smiled and patted James' side; "A formal letter will be mailed to you from the Governors if you are selected."

James swallowed, his hazel eyes never leaving Lily's face.

Flitwick beamed at Lily now, "As for you Miss Evans, I've heard from several sources that you wrote a wonderful letter to the board of Governors at the start of the year that they very much appreciated."

Lily pulled her eyes from James' breakdown for a moment to register that Flitwick was complimenting her, "Thank you sir." She replied pleasantly, "But I heard Aranza Middleton from Hufflepuff wrote a rather persuasive speech at well."

Lily hoped Aranza didn't get it—the girl was a cow—but Lily would never say that out loud in front of Flitwick. As the charms Professor he was one of Lily's favorite teachers at Hogwarts and she didn't want him to think she was being petty.

"Well," Flitwick clapped his hands, "I just wanted to let you both know you were being considered. I highly suggest in writing one more letter to the board." Flitwick waddled back to his podium in the front of the classroom, "I'll make sure to give them a few good words for the both of you as well."

"Thank you." Lily told her Professor before following James' robotic movements to the door of the classroom.

"You'd deserve it every bit a much as anyone else." Lily spoke up as they entered the busy hallways of Hogwarts.

James turned disbelieving eyes on her and that's when it hit her. It was so painfully evident that James was petrified at the Head boy position. It amused Lily. As long as she had known James, he had been obsessed with being the best he could be and she imagined he's be bragging about how excellent he was by now. Instead he looked more like he wanted to puke.

"James." She smiled, touching his elbow.

"I can't believe Remus—" he muttered, "I'm gonna kill him."

"James!" she chastised with a half laugh only to realize he was serious when he sped up and left her behind a group of slow third years.

"James Potter!" she rolled her eyes and pushed past the third years to grab him by the hood of his robes.

It yanked back on his neck and he was forced to stop his fast walk to murder Remus Lupin.

"_Evans_!" he complained, rubbing his neck and glaring at her.

"You aren't even going to consider being Head Boy?" she needed to know what was so wrong with him being Head Boy.

"No. I'm gonna go talk sense into Remus." James mumbled while turning away from her yet again, Lily struggled to keep up with his furious pace, "I can't believe he turned down the chance at being Head Boy just because—" he stopped talking and seemingly walked faster.

"Listen," Lily panted at his side, "If he wanted it so much he would've applied!"

James scoffed, "he's just scared."

"And so are you!" Lily snapped stopping her fast-paced walk to stare at him in disbelief, while grabbing his arm to make him slow down to her pace.

He didn't look pleased with her at all, probably because he knew Lily was right. Lily felt like she always had to talk sense into James—quidditch or no quidditch.

He pouted and his shoulders hunched forward. He mumbled something as they walked together but Lily didn't catch it.

"What was that?"

"Nothing" James snarled, picking up his pace again, "I'm going for a run."

"Have fun with that." Lily mumbled with a roll of her eyes as he left her alone.

Later, after hanging out with her friends Anna and Mary in the Library, Lily returned to the common room alone. The first person interesting that she spotted was Remus. He was at the far end of the common room with Sirius building a castle made out of cards. They were dressed in warm woolen robes as they were sitting by the drafty window. James was nowhere to be seen and Lily reckoned that James was still angry. Lily walked over to Sirius and Remus' four-person table sat down next to Remus.

"Hey." She offered to the boys in order to announce her presence.

"Congrats on the nomination for Head Girl." Remus stated kindly as he placed a card on top of the teetering tower.

Lily smiled at Remus and placed a thankful hand on his shoulder, "James?" she assumed.

Remus bowed his head in understanding, "He came into our dorm about an hour ago ranting about how _'Dumbledore is mad'_ and '_Lily is so bleeding annoying'_." He used air quotes around James' terms from earlier.

Lily wrinkled her nose, "Well, that's rude." She blew out her air and the castle of cards rocked.

"Careful, Evans!" Sirius spoke up, throwing his hands up to protect the castle. It remained upright.

Lily ignored Sirius, "James _is_ Head Boy material."

"We know that." Sirius replied as his grey eyes examined the card castle.

Lily tilted her head in surprise, "I would've thought you'd be against him getting Head Boy what with you being unable to cause trouble and all."

Sirius smirked and nudged her leg under the table, "Now Evans," he finally looked at her so he could wink, "Do you honestly think anything's stopped me so far?"

"Yeah," Lily mocked, "James stopped you from getting yourself expelled, did he not?"

Sirius sent her a scowl, "Low blow Evans."

"She's right." Remus recollected, "James did save Severus Snape from certain death."

"He's really inconsiderate like that." Sirius commented dryly, placing another card atop the castle.

"Is this about the incident at the willow?" Lily pried, "What _exactly_ happened there?"

Spending more time with the boys had given her an inside look to their world and things were starting to fit together more and more clearly. Professor Flitwick's comment about Remus' health and James' sudden frustration with Remus was making her head whirl with information.

She'd known of course, that the reason James and Sirius had been fighting is because Severus was almost killed at the whomping willow. She also knew Remus had to have a very particular prefect schedule because he was unable to do rounds at certain times of the month. They didn't do it often but the boys called each other weird nicknames every once in a while. Lily assumed it was when they forgot she was there. Even Sirius, who she knew the best out of all of them, appeared to be keeping something from her.

"Hey." Peter suddenly appeared, dropping into a seat across from Lily with a huff.

Peter's face red like he'd been running a race himself and Lily raised interested eyebrows in his direction.

"How is he?" Remus and Sirius inquired hastily.

Sirius looked like he was happy for a change of subject.

"He's fine. A little—" Peter eyed Lily before concluding, "he's a little worked up."

"James?" Lily asked, knowing full well the answer.

Peter nodded, "He went storming out after Remus refused to apply for Head Boy."

Lily sighed and put her face in her hands, "If he doesn't apply, Michael Anderson is certain to get Head Boy." She eyed Sirius through her fingers, "and I might jump off the astronomy tower."

"I'll just chuck Anderson off the Astronomy tower and you can run Hogwarts yourself." Sirius suggested as Remus put another card on the castle.

"Thanks." Lily said sarcastically.

"James says he's going to Hogsmede." Peter continued, "but I saw him take the application with him."

"See?" Lily demanded, "He's totally thinking about applying!"

"Or just sneaking out." Sirius countered.

Lily sulked, "How's he planning on sneaking out?"

"He has his ways." Peter replied back with a sneaky smile.

Lily but her lip and then said, "Why Hogsmede?"

Sirius snorted humorlessly, "snog a few more barmaids?" he suggested keenly.

Both Sirius and Peter burst into laughter and high-fived. Remus chuckled as the castle in front of them rocked back and forth from Peter and Sirius' dramatic antics. Not amused by their inside joke Lily pouted.

"James does _not_ go to Hogsmede to snog random barmaids." Lily said in half horror and half interest.

"I'm pretty sure he's in the liberty to snog whomever he likes." Sirius sent a knowing look in Lily's direction, his smirk aimed at her, "Unless you'd like to tell him otherwise."

Lily flushed at Sirius' unashamed joshing.

"No," Peter calmed her fears quickly, "He said he just needed to get out of the castle. He'll be back later."

"Curfew is in an hour." Lily retorted, "What if he gets caught? He won't be picked for Head Boy if he gets in trouble!"

"He won't get Head Boy if he doesn't apply." Remus reminded her kindly, "and unfortunately, knowing James, he probably won't."

"Why?" Lily asked.

Sirius licked his finger before taking a card from his deck, "James would be too afraid of disappointing you." Sirius didn't notice Lily's confused look and continued, "He's got you so high up in the clouds like you're a bloody angel that he's probably worried if he did get it and he wasn't a good Head Boy."

"He would be a good Head Boy." Lily argued.

Sirius held up his hands in defense, "I know that. You know that. Everyone knows that. But if he doesn't want to do it we, as is friends, have no right to make him." Sirius eyed her seriously, "He respects your opinion enough to act on it, Lily. Don't push him into doing something he doesn't want to."

They were only friends. James didn't respect her opinion that much. They liked quidditch and that was about all they had in common and spoke about. Sure, he'd taken her advice about Shawn Jones but it was just about the only thing they'd worked together on. It didn't matter that Anna Faith said he fancied her and that was the only reason he took Jones into the team. It didn't matter that Sirius was trying to tell her she had better control over James than she thought.

_They were just friends._

"His interests are purely quidditch and you boys." Lily said delicately, "He made it pretty clear earlier today that he didn't care what I thought."

Sirius narrowed his eyes, "Of course he cares what you think."

"He just doesn't want you to know he cares." Peter said sensitively.

"We're just friends." Lily blurted out oversensitively.

"Friends can care about each other." Sirius reminded Lily, likely pointing out the fact that Lily cared greatly for Sirius and vis versa without it being anything romantic.

Lily opened and closed her mouth and must've resembled a fish. Remus and Sirius went back to the tower they were building out of cards. Peter continued staring at her before taking some cards from Sirius and helping build up the castle. Lily huffed and leaned back against her chair.

Lily considered Remus. His eyes were heavily lidded and she noticed he was looking sick again. It was almost comical at how often she tried to figure these boys out when only a year before she couldn't be bothered with them. She put her chin in her hands, resting her elbows on the table.

Two years ago she had been around Severus who had been very engrossed in the boys and what they were hiding. Severus hadn't always been on the mark about some things but when it came to James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter but Lily was considering one of his other theories.

"Why _did_ you turn it down?" she prodded Remus for more information, "Professor Flitwick said it was because you were sick."

Sirius shifted in his seat and Lily noticed his eyes flicker momentarily between the Lily and Remus. It was so brief she was lucky she'd even noticed. Peter flicked a piece of lint off his robes, refusing to look at any of them. Remus simply shrugged.

"I'm afraid," he seemed to be choosing his words delicately, "That once I'm out of Hogwarts being Head Boy won't mean anything important anyways."

"Thanks not true." Lily argued, "Head Boy looks wonderful on a resume."

Sirius snorted and Lily glared at him, Remus did too. Seeing that his opinion was unwelcome he raised his eyebrows a bit and sent Remus an annoyed look.

Remus said honestly, "Trust me when I say that James is exactly the type of Head Boy Hogwarts needs right now."

"I know he is." Lily muttered, putting a hand on Remus' shoulder again, "But he _really_ wants you to get it."

Remus smiled gloomily at Lily, "James needs to stop worrying about everyone around him—and start worrying about himself."

"Has he always been so—"Lily searched for a word to describe James, "_chivalrous_?"

Sirius smiled, "Surprised that underneath his oaf exterior he's all gentleman?"

"I'm surprised, that's for sure." Lily replied, pulling her hair up into a ponytail only to let it fall back down.

"Not as conceited as you once believed, huh?" Remus nudged Lily in her side with a wink.

"No," Lily smirked, "I guess not."

"Complete pig on the quidditch field." Sirius agreed, "but quite the noble steed outside of quidditch."

"Noble stag?" Remus suggested instead of steed.

All three boys laughed again, finding Remus' suggestion hilarious.

"Too bad he doesn't want it." Peter commented dryly, "He'd be a better Head Boy than anyone."

"He'll come around." Remus countered, "I know he will."

"Well he certainly gets a consolation prize if he _does_ get it." Peter suggested with a nod of his head in Lily's direction.

All three boys looked at Lily and she suddenly felt like she was the one being studied. Feeling uncomfortable she stood up and crossed her arms.

"I have rounds tonight." She babbled, "I should get homework done."

"Do mine for me?" Sirius asked as she walked away.

"Not a chance." She tried to sound playful but all Lily could think about was the fact that James Potter was not the man she thought he was.

The next morning Lily was heading down to the pitch before the big game when she spotted James walking by himself, dressed for the game already. Lily appreciated his new quidditch sweater, the scarlet and gold making his messy black hair stand out even more. He was carrying his prized broomstick on his shoulders. It was a Nimbus 1500, one of the fastest racing brooms in the world. Lily knew it was newer; James had had the Numbus 1000 just the year before. Lily admired his broom, the wood shining from a recent cleaning.

She skipped forward and touched his shoulder as she came up by his side. James glanced over at her. When he saw it was Lily he looked like he'd rather a dragon be at his side. The scene was all very welcoming to Lily but it did not discourage her.

"What?" he warned her to not mention 'Head Boy' with his eyes.

Lily ignored his warning, "Did you apply?" she stated brusquely.

"Lily." He sighed deeply and let his broom fall from his shoulders, holding it out in front of him like he was examining it.

"Remus said he wasn't going to apply." Lily stepped in front of him so that they stopped walking and were facing each other, "You should."

James narrowed his eyes at her, "Evans, _please_."

"James," she moaned, grabbing his broomstick so he couldn't walk away, "This is such a great opportunity and I know you'll be a better Head Boy than anyone!"

James rolled his eyes, "I can't go three days without getting a detention and that badge would be snatched from me by the second week in."

"You don't know that." Lily scoffed, pulling at his broom so he was forced to step closer to her.

He finally smiled at her, "You'll certainly regret supporting me by the first day."

"Would not." She argued back, "I happen to support your campaign."

"Do you?" he leaned forward, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I'm the campaign manager." Lily let go of his broom and put her hands on her hips, "Fancy that?"

James stepped forward, so close to her that she could smell him. He smelled like pine, toothpaste, and some sort of spice.

"Who paid you to run the campaign?" James chuckled, eyes fluttering behind her for a moment before settling back on her face, "McGonagall? She was going on about how being Head Boy could make me a better person and all that nonsense."

"I don't know about make you a better person." Lily snickered again, "But you'd certainly be a step up from my current options."

"Well aren't you just _certain_ you'll get Head Girl?" he smirked.

Lily flushed, "I mean—"

James chuckled and leaned back, "I'm only teasing. You're going to get Head Girl."

He started walking towards the pitch again, broom back to being slung over his shoulder. Lily followed at his heels.

"And _you're_ going to be Head Boy."

"Not likely."

But he was smiling. Lily fancied that James might be coming around to the idea of being Head Boy more and more. If she could get more people to shoot up his confidence then he would have a shot at getting the position. Maybe Sirius wasn't entirely right, as James' friends they ought to encourage him to make positive decisions.

Head Boy was positive.

James and Lily bickered playfully until they were forced to part ways when Lily had to climb to the top of the stands. She had come out early to set up the commentators box.

"Good luck." She told James sincerely, one hand on the banister of the stairs that led to the top box.

"Thank you." He replied, running his fingers through his hair and looking charmingly bashful.

Lily beamed and turned away, climbing the stairs while feeling extra giddy. When she got to the commentator's box she began checking that everything was in its proper place. A few other students and Professors were wandering around and getting the best seats around the pitch. Groups of Slytherin's were not too far off were enchanting banners flashing a win for Slytherin up on the sides of the field. Lily noted the point box was left on the score of the last game and she began moving the numbers to set them at 0:0.

"Lily it's wonderful you're already here, I'd like you to meet Edward Jones and Felicia McGuff."

Lily looked up from the point box she'd been tampering with. A gentleman with a goatee and a woman with light yellow hair were smiling on either side of Professor McGonagall. Lily stood up and faced them completely, holding out her hand to say hello to the strangers. McGonagall explained the introduction farther.

"They're here for recruiting," McGonagall said, eyes bright, "Professional quidditch."

Lily clapped her hand over her mouth in eagerness and eyed the pair with even more interest now, "That's fantastic! Today is going to be a wonderful game!"

"McGonagall mentioned you have been commentator for a few years now." The woman said kindly, her smile warm, "We always need good commentators too."

Lily grinned and puffed out her chest in pleasure, "Thank you," she spoke sincerely, "But I'm still not positive on what I want to do once I've left Hogwarts."

"Lily is one my brightest students," Professor McGonagall bragged, causing Lily to blush, "All the teacher's are hoping she goes into their professions respectively."

Lily blushed, "Thank you Professor." She felt embarrassed from McGonagall's praise, "But I don't even know what I'll pick for NEWTs."

Edward laughed pleasantly, "I understand," he nodded his head slightly, "Until I was picked up for the Chudley Cannons I had no idea I could even play professional quidditch."

"Do you have any suggestions for players to watch?" Felicia asked, pulling her scarf up to cover her face more to block the chill in the air.

Lily nodded fervently, "Slytherin and Gryffindor are playing today. Slytherin's seeker and Gryffindor's captain are the ones to watch. I'm a Gryffindor myself though, so I'm quite biased for Gryffindor's players."

"What about James Potter?" The woman questioned.

"He's a quaffle hog," Lily laughed, "But he captains his team with respect and he's a very instinctive flier."

"I've been watching him since his fifth year." Edward explained, "Met him when he came to a practice a few years back. Quite the personality."

"He's been nominated for Head Boy as well." McGonagall said to the pair.

"That would look excellent on his resume." Felicia smiled, jotting something down on a notebook she carried.

Felicia's comment inspired Lily. If James thought being Head Boy had anything to do with quidditch—_playing professional quidditch_—he'd definitely apply. Lily couldn't resist excusing herself quickly to race down the stands to the hallways below where she knew James was preparing for the game.

"You know, I'm friends with James!" She stepped away from the group with excitement bubbling in her stomach, "I have to go tell him you're here! It was nice meeting you! Enjoy the game!"

The recruiters laughed and nodded in promise as they took their seats behind Lily's booth for point keeping. Lily grabbed her wand off the point box and stuffed it into her robes before racing down the staircase. Down in the respected hallways below the stands Gryffindor's team was off to the side talking about the game. Lily could hear James before she could see him.

"I don't want you even _thinking_ about catching the snitch until we're two hundred points ahead of Slytherin. Understand Faith?"

Anna, who was leaning on the doorway closest to the stairwell nodded. Her golden hair was flipped over her shoulder impatiently as Lily came to stand beside her friend.

"Yes, I know James. I promise I won't."

Lily nudged Anna's shoulder and Anna glanced at her in confusion.

"What?" she whispered to Lily.

"James." Lily mouthed back as she moved through the crowd of Quidditch players.

Shawn Jones stepped aside for Lily to enter James' view. Instead of smiling at Lily, Shawn looked at her in bewilderment, and then Shawn glanced over at James. James had his back faced to the team because he was looking out at the field.

"Alright!" he proclaimed, "Go stretch. Game starts in fifteen."

Players filed through the doors to the field. Lily couldn't help smiling at how gruff he sounded when he was being bossy.

"James." She called for his attention.

James turned and a smile the size of the mile spread across his face when he saw her, "Lily!" he said her name deeply with a rush of affection, "What are you doing down here?"

Shawn passed, her eyes boring into James and Lily as she did so.

"Hit the field, Jones." James ordered Shawn who gave him a nasty look.

Anna flounced past, kissing Lily's cheek and smacking James' shoulder playfully, "Go, go Gryffindor!" she chanted as she left Lily and James standing alone in the hallway together.

Lily grabbed James' hand excitedly, "James, there are _two_ recruiters here today!"

James' cheeks flushed eagerly, "What?"

"Two of them!" Lily illuminated, "Sitting right behind me in the commentator booth! And they mentioned you!"

"Mentioned me?" he grabbed her hand tighter, not letting her let go, "What do you mean?"

"I mean they _both_ want you already!" She exclaimed, "You could play professional quidditch!"

"Merlin." He whispered, hazel eyes sparkling, "Me. Professional Quidditch."

"You!" Lily agreed, jumping up and down, "I hope you play well." She told him sincerely, "McGonagall told them about how you were nominated for Head Boy. They said they hope you get it."

"What d'you reckon?" James laughed, a sound that Lily felt all the way to her toes.

James looked like he was on cloud nine, his smile a mile wide and he appeared to be praying for a moment. Then James looked down at her and they both stood there grinning foolishly at each other. Feeling a rushing urge of happiness for James, Lily launched herself forward on her tiptoes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and chuckled into his shoulder. James wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back warmly.

"Good luck." She repeated to him for the second time that day, into his ear.

He hugged her tighter before letting go and winking at her, "We're going to level these Slytherins into the ground."

Lily beamed at him, "I can't wait."

They high fived and once again, as Lily left his side, she felt incredibly lighter than before.

Of course, The Slytherin's weren't going down without a fight. Lily was leaning on the edge of her seat, her green eyes zooming back and forth between the chasers as the maroon quaffle was tossed back and forth across the pitch. At thirty minutes into the game, Gryffindor was in the lead with 150 pointes to Slytherin's 50. James had made it explicably clear he didn't want Anna even thinking about the snitch until they were two hundred pointes ahead of Slytherin.

As such Lily saw Anna far above the field, blond hair blowing in the chilly winter wind.

Lily yawned into her glove-covered hand as a green player zoomed past her box, the quaffle in hand. A whistle blew and the game halted.

"Shinky had the quaffle but due to passing out of bounds must relinquish the quaffle to the opposite team." She announced.

A chaser appeared on the left side of the field, her dark face painted with even darker face paint. Lily perked up when she saw it was Shawn Jones. Shinky passed the quaffle to Shawn and Shawn didn't even pause before turning and heading for the goal posts.

"Jones has the quaffle." Lily announced into the microphone, "She is heading for the goal posts."

Shawn was used to small street quidditch courts. Lily had noticed the girl was having trouble adjusting to having to fly farther with the quaffle in her control. As soon as James heard Lily announce Jones with the quaffle he yelling at his two beaters to protect Shawn. Lily could vaguely hear James' voice carrying with the wind.

Shawn was making her way down the pitch but instead of Slytherin attempting to send bludgers her way, Slytherin had refocused it's efforts.

"In a quick turn of events," Lily muttered into the microphone with annoyance at the Slytherin captain, "It appears Gryffindor's captain is now playing target for the Slytherin beaters."

"_Don't you fucking dare leave Jones!"_

Lily heard James shrieking at his beaters as one tried to abandon Shawn and help James avoid the bludger that kept getting knocked his way. Lily turned her green eyes to see Shawn approaching Slytherin's goal posts. Their green clothed keeper fell into the left ring where Shawn had been shooting the entire game.

In the stands, hundreds of students were silent, wondering if Gryffindor would score. It happened so fast Lily had to blink twice before she registered. Shawn flew up at the Keeper and twisted, sending one fist flying towards the keeper's face.

The Slytherin keeper backed out of the way, almost falling off his broom, he was so startled by her blatant attack. When he moved, she scored with her other hand. No contact was made so it hadn't been an illegal move. Shawn had played to her strengths without actually using them.

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" Lily shouted excitedly and the Gryffindor side exploded with cheers as the Slytherin's called for a foul. Lily saw Shawn pump the air in happiness and the referee didn't call a foul once it was clear that Shawn had only meant to scare the keeper—not hurt him.

"It's not a foul," Lily announced to the crowd and the Slytherin's roared in bias, "No contact was made to the keeper by the chaser the game will resume."

Shawn was making a lap around the field and the game had moved on—Shawn would not be getting a red card for her fake out of the Slytherin keeper. The Slytherin chasers had the quaffle now but James quickly retrieved the quaffle and was shouting directions as he began zig zagging around the field—confusing the other defensive chasers.

Gryffindor scored goal after goal. They were now two hundred pointes in the lead. Then they were two hundred and twenty points in the lead. Behind her she heard Edward ask why the snitch had not been caught yet. Slytherin was slowing down and resorting to cheating. Red cards were being thrown left and right. James was now nursing a bloody nose after colliding with the Slytherin captain.

"Both seekers are actively searching for the snitch to end the game before the Slytherin's cheating captain seeks to decapitate Gryffindor's _remarkable_ captain." Lily announced, her own eyes scanning the field for a flash of gold as the crowd laughed or jeered at her comment aimed at dismantling the Slytherin team.

Just then Lily spotted a flash of scarlet and gold dive from high up in the sky. A first year a few levels below Lily shouted piercingly that it was the golden snitch.

"Anna Faith has spotted the snitch!"

Lily jumped out of her seat and leaned over the wall that separated her from falling to the stands below. Anna was falling to the ground quickly, a little fleck of gold hanging out by the lowest stands of the stadium. The Slytherin seeker was on the other side of the stadium and by the time he had even noticed Anna dive, Anna was holding up the snitch and waving it in the air proudly. Lily felt her chest expand proudly as she watched her team pile into each other in midair and clasp each other screaming merrily.

"_Gryffindor wins!_" she announced excitedly as the roar in the stands reached a triumphant blare.

The party in the common room that night was loud and Lily watched with proud eyes as James made a toast in honor of Anna who was lifted onto the shoulders of Sirius and another boy named Clark. Remus was right; of course, James was the type of Head Boy they needed. Lily just wished James could see that he was perfect as well.

Lily hung out in the library alone the next day working on her parchment for advanced potions. Anna had left Lily long before the sun had reached the middle of the sky, complaining that she was a 'quidditch hero' and didn't have any need for studying. Across the library a group of mixed house students was growing in the corner. Glares kept shooting over to where Lily sat, alone. Lori was sitting among them but the plump blond couldn't even look Lily in the eyes when Lily had passed the table to get a book.

Needless to say she was surprised when someone dropped into the chair across from her, slamming a bag full of books down. She looked up to see it was James. She put down her quill and smiled at his as he settled himself into study mode. He lifted an eyebrow at her and whispered a small hello.

"Nice playing, yesterday." She offered, "Did you talk to the recruiters?"

James nodded, "Cheers." He pulled out a potions book from his bag to work on the same parchment she was, "couldn't have done it without you. You have to let me repay you."

"Keep your name in for Head Boy." She replied eagerly.

"I did."

Lily who hadn't been excepting anything short of _'no'_ continued before she registered what he'd said, "If after one week you decide you don't like it you can drop out but James…" he was grinning at her stupidly, "…Wait." She clasped her hands to her mouth and held back a squeal of excitement.

"I applied last night, sent the owl out this morning." He laughed softly at her appearance, "Surprised?"

"Happy." She said sincerely, reaching forward to touch his hand, which had been resting on his closed book.

James' eyes shot up to hers and they smiled at each other before Lily got back to her parchment. She couldn't wipe the grin off of her face now that she knew that James had applied for Head Boy. She lifted her eyes without moving her head so she could look at him. James had his head in his hands as he stared at the requirements for the parchment, a quill tucked behind his ear. His hair was all over the place and Lily longed to ask him if he even owned a hairbrush.

James looked up and seemed startled to see she was staring at him. He tilted his head, letting his hands fall to his sides awkwardly. It only made her grin more. She forced herself to look back at her parchment because suddenly, her stomach was feeling a bit queasy. She heard the scratching of his quill against parchment, which meant he'd started his task. She was surprised he hadn't brought up the game yesterday and how well it went.

"You won!" Lily whispered, nudging James' foot, "Gryffindor is going to finals!"

She didn't look up from her parchment as she said it.

"Is it any surprise?" James whispered back and Lily felt him nudge her foot back, "I _am_ the best captain this school has ever seen. What word did you use in the game? Ah, _remarkable_. Which is so true, by the way. I am quite remarkable."

She laughed softly and looked at him again, "You're so conceited." But she didn't say it in a shameful way—it was more endearing than anything.

"You love me anyways." He teased, eyes remaining on his parchment.

"No I don't." She murmured, almost defensively.

James either disregarded her wary tone or didn't notice it, "yeah, you do."

He nudged her foot again.

"Oi!"

Lily and James both turned to see the table in the corner, the one that had been previously full of students giving Lily malicious stares. The person who had spoken out was Shawn Jones. Lily looked at Lori but Lori purposely avoided Lily's slight glance in her direction. Lily turned her attention back on Shawn; surprised she would be sitting with a group like that. Lily smiled warmly at Shawn but James suddenly tensed up.

"Potter, come tell us about that wicked thing you said to Slytherin's captain after he bloodied your nose!" Shawn called loudly enough for the whole library to hear.

"Nice playing as well Shawn." Lily offered the fifth year girl with half a laugh and a wave.

Instead of saying thank you or beaming like she normally would've done, Shawn seemed suddenly eyed Lily with soft consideration before her eyes turned to James. Lori abruptly stood up and all eyes turned on her. The blond Gryffindor walked out of the library, followed by two other girls. Lori didn't even glance at Lily.

"Come on, James." Shawn offered James once more, almost like she was begging him.

That's when Lily (after glancing at James and seeing the distaste on his face) figured it out. James wasn't supposed to be sitting with her. James was supposed to be sitting with them—the purists and the half bloods whose parents held positions of power. Two boys in Ravenclaw were eyeing James with interest, like they were hanging on his answer. Shawn was smiling at James but James looked sickened.

"I'm in the middle of something right now with Lily." James replied smoothly, "Thanks." But his tone was anything but thankful.

Lily looked over at James, kindly studying him, "It's alright." She whispered, "They want to hear about the match."

She was giving him a chance to go over to them, the pro elites but he was choosing her over them.

"No," James whispered back, "This doesn't have _anything_ to do with quidditch."

Her heart swelled and she smiled at him, feeling a rush of affection for James. She settled into her chair as the other table dispersed, whispering. Lily heard James' name coincide with hers in a derogatory tone. It sounded like music to Lily and she was proud at that moment to have someone like James in her life.

Their quiet was suddenly interrupted by a seventh year Hufflepuff coming out from a stack of books to their right. She incredibly skinny and her thick brown hair cascaded over her shoulders as she leaned on their table to catch their attention.

"That was really brave." She offered to James who looked at her in misperception.

"Thank you?"

"They were being bullies." The girl smiled, showing off a set of white teeth, "It was brave of you to stand up to them."

James looked awkward and Lily saw him half shrug it off, "It was nothing."

"That wasn't nothing." The girl said aggressively, "That was a _statement_

"A statement?" James asked, "How so?"

"You're pureblood." The girl gestured at all of him, as if stating the obvious.

"Yeah." James said, eyes apologizing to Lily who was just as confused as he was.

"And you're muggleborn, aren't you?" The girl turned a pointed look at Lily.

Lily bristled, "What does my blood status have to do with anything?"

"Nothing to decent people…but to those idiots…" the girl quickly explained, "He just turned down to sit with those bigots and he's showing more people that the status quo isn't black and white like they imagine."

Lily smiled gently, glancing at James who was scratching his ear nervously, "Yeah, he's never been one to follow the status quo."

The woman stuck out her hand to Lily, "I'm Dorcas, Dorcas Meadows. I've seen you commentating at the games. You're excellent."

"Lily." Lily offered her own hand, "And thank you."

"Meadows. As in William Meadows?" James offered his hand to the girl next.

She nodded, her green eyes sparkling at the mention of the name, "My dad."

"I was sorry to hear of his passing." James offered and Lily knew by James' tone that her dad was someone important.

Meadows' smile faltered and Lily saw a faint bit of sadness reflect in her eyes, "Thank you." She glanced back and forth between the pair, "he was a wonderful man."

"I'm so sorry he passed." Lily managed to offer, even though she was still confused at the current exchange, "Has he been gone long?"

Dorcas turned her small eyes on Lily, "Two months now." She shoved her hands in her pockets, "You see, he didn't conform much to society either."

Lily glanced in worry and confusion to James who was looking highly abashed. Dorcas seemed to sense the sudden change in mood between them.

"Anyways, I just have to say," she began to walk away from the table, "He'd be delighted to see a couple like you two."

"We're just—"

Lily quickly tried to explain how she was just mates with James but Dorcas was waving goodbye and had disappeared back into the stack of books.

Lily looked at James, "Do you know her?"

James shook his head, "Know of her family. Meadows is a pureblood name. My mum mentioned her father once. He worked in the Ministry's misuse of muggle artifacts office and was spearheading the muggleborn protection act."

Lily frowned, "So he was a threat?"

James nodded, "Anyone like that is a threat. Look at Sirius. His own family kicked him out because he could've been a threat to their security."

Lily sighed and put down her quill, "and now you're a threat."

"What?" James laughed delicately.

"You." Lily accused, staring pointedly at him, "You come from one of the oldest, most respected families in the wizarding world," James was scoffing at her words, "but you have always very openly stated your dislike for the dark arts and your obviously pro muggle by the fact you are even willing to _look_ at me. I mean you might as well put a target sign on your back—"

"Lily." James stopped her by reaching out to grab her hand and send her an encouraging smile, "Don't be stupid." Lily balked at him and he elaborated, "I hate the dark arts. I hate intolerant idiots who think you are worth any less because of your parents. This isn't an easy political game and I've never been very good at politics but I'm very well aware of what I'm doing and you shouldn't be worried."

Lily crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, scrutinizing him, "I shouldn't?"

"No." James said fiercely, "Do you think I worry about it? Or Sirius worries about it?" he rolled his eyes, "There are better things to be worried about."

Lily couldn't resist hitting his foot again with hers, "Like what?"

"Like winning the quidditch cup." James kicked her back.

Lily feigned a serious face, "Oh of course, nothing trumps quidditch."

"That's my girl."

James went back to his essay and Lily stared at him in shock at his words. That's when she realized that when Meadows had called them a couple Lily had been the only one to defend their status as friends. Not only that, but James had called her _his_ girl.

They were just friends but Lily could feel something changing between them, especially considering she spent the rest of the day huddled in the library with him. Once they realized they had been in the stuffy book paradise all afternoon James suggested dinner. Lily ate with him and his mates, listening to their plans for James' upcoming birthday in March since it's day happened to fall on the day of the final quidditch match.

"Birthday?" Lily smacked her forehead in sudden remembrance.

"Yeah—it's gonna be shitty if I lose the game on that day." James grinned at her.

"No," Lily shook her head and laughed a little bit, "I mean yeah, that'd be rotten. It's just I only remembered that my birthday is in a week and a half."

"No way!" Peter looked excited, "Are you going to have a party?"

Lily shook her head, "It always falls on a Slug Club. Slughorn normally gets me a cake."

James smiled at her, "How old will you be?"

"Seventeen." She answered, "I'll finally be of age!" she grinned excitably.

Sirius snorted, "And you're gonna celebrate with old Sluggy?"

"Yes." Lily giggled, throwing Sirius a glare, "He means well."

"Seventeen is a big birthday!" James argued, "You don't want to be in stuffy Slug Club for your seventeenth birthday!"

Lily ignored his unhappiness and asked him, "Well, how old will you be?"

"Seventeen as well." James looked blissful, "I will finally be respected as a mature adult."

"Or less respected." Sirius countered.

James punched Sirius in the gut for his comment. Lily didn't know why she was surprised but she had always imagined James as older. She figured it was because of his height and attitude. Even still, it made sense that he wasn't eighteen or he'd have to be in seventh year. Lily wondered what she ought to get James for his seventeenth birthday. Lily knew seventeen was a big deal in the wizarding world and everyone got substantial gifts and even if she wasn't expecting anything she knew James was. Lily pondered what to give a boy who had everything he already needed.

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><p><em><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> Going For Gold: An Excerpt_

Lily felt tears prick at her eyes as she stared at the shiny golden watch in her fingers, "For me?"

"It's traditional to give a witch or wizard a watch on their seventeenth birthday." James explained.

"We didn't want you to have a totally boring seventeenth." Sirius smiled fondly.

"Do you like it?" Peter asked, looking like he'd weep if she said she didn't even remotely like it.

Lily managed to hold back a sob with a strangled sort of laugh as she launched forward and hugged Peter, "I love it!"

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><p><strong>AN: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I was ecstatic to see that I wasn't writing this story just for the sake of my own amusement. These chapters take me over 18 hours to write and I work two jobs so I'm so happy to know that me pouring my time into this is SO SOOO worth it. I love each and every single one of your for your kind words and encouragement. **

**xxx**


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